Fighting Fires
by Tori of Lorien
Summary: The fire had cost him everything, but Jeff finds comfort in the woman he loves most. What happens when her life is threatened? Will he be able to save her, or will everything he knows once again go up in flames? Jeff/Beth. Full summary inside.
1. Heart Shaped Box

**Fighting Fires**

**Summary**: "I witnessed a horrific mental image that will always be etched in my mind." –Matt Hardy. The fire had cost him everything- his house, his belongings, even his beloved dog. But Jeff Hardy finds comfort in still having the one person he loves most during this difficult time, not knowing what he would do without her. What happens when her life is threatened? Will he be able to save her, or will everything he knows once again go up in flames? Jeff/Beth.

**Song**: "Paralyzer" by Finger Eleven

**Rating**: T

**Genre**: Drama/Romance

**Disclaimer**: The following story is fiction based on actual people and facts. Obviously, the Hardys or any of their friends and other wrestlers are not mine. Nor is the passage from The Scarlet Letter. That belongs to Nathaniel Hawthorne.

**Author's Note**: Hey! I'm new to this category, but I love wrestling, so I thought I would try this out. As I said before, the pairing is Jeff and Beth, but other superstars are also included. All of the chapters are named after song titles that fit the content of the chapter, which I also do not own. Your reviews are greatly appreciated, but no flames please. So, enjoy chapter one! Thanks for giving this a shot!

Chapter 1- Heart-Shaped Box

**Artist**: _Nirvana_

Jeff sighed as he entered his brother's house and set his bags down, still not used to this place being "home." Without a doubt, it was incredibly kind of Matt to take both him and Beth in after their house burned down due to unknown faulty wiring, a mistake that had cost them everything, but it still wasn't the same as being in your own place. And Matt was his best friend, and he knew that there was no place where he would rather stay while he built his new house. And with Beth, anywhere could feel like home.

The younger Hardy smiled when he heard soft, scurrying footsteps, and he watched as Lucas, Matt's white, fuzzy dog, came running at him from the kitchen. "Hey, there you are," Jeff said as he bent down and scooped up the excited creature into his arms. "I'm sorry if I woke you." That would be the best explanation of the delay in Lucas' typical greeting. After all, it was late.

As if to prove his statement, Lucas yawned before he licked his cheek. Jeff kissed the top of the dog's head quickly as he ruffled his fur. He had noticed a definite change in his behavior ever since the house fire had taken his own dog, Jack. Lucas was the only dog Jack had ever really gotten along with, and now that he was gone, Jeff could see the negative impact it was having on Lucas.

"There's no place like home, huh, Jeffro?" Matt Hardy asked as he came up behind his brother with his own bags.

"Yeah," Jeff muttered as he set Lucas on the floor again, the dog jumping with newfound energy around their feet. "You've gotta' love the brother versus brother storyline."

"Totally," Matt agreed, using the same sarcasm as his brother had. "Strange they're making us do it again."

Jeff nodded. He hated pretending that he was Matt's enemy, and he knew that it wasn't the easiest thing for Matt either. But it was just a storyline. They were best friends outside of the ring.

"Just leave your bags in the living room for tonight. We can put stuff away in the morning," Matt told him, noticing the exhaustion in his brother's eyes. "That is, if you don't need anything out of them."

"Nope, I'm going straight upstairs to bed," Jeff replied, wincing when his shoulder throbbed slightly as he set his bags down near the couch. He had either landed on it wrong or pulled a muscle during his last fight. Fortunately, it didn't seem to be too serious. "Beth's probably already sleeping since it's after midnight…"

Matt smirked. "Yeah, but don't worry. You'll be able to talk to her in the morning," he said. "Get a good night's sleep, Jeffery."

"You too," Jeff muttered. But instead of going upstairs right away as he had originally planned, Jeff stopped by the kitchen first and grabbed a cup out of the cupboard. He filled it with cold water before splashing some on his face, drinking about half of the glass and emptying the rest into the sink before putting it in the dishwasher. It had been a long week, and he had missed Beth every minute of it. Even if she were sleeping now, he would at least be able to see her again. He would at least be able to sleep with her in his arms again.

Seeing that Matt had already left the living room, Jeff hurried up the stairs, anxious to be with Beth after a week without her. He opened the door of the guest room that they were using, surprised to see that the lamp by the bed was on and the bed itself was empty. His eyes moved around nervously, but then, he saw with confusion that Beth was sitting in front of the closet, looking through a shoebox of seemingly random items.

When she heard the door to the room open, Beth quickly looked up, startled, but her face radiated inexplicable joy at seeing her Enigma. "Hey!" She immediately got up and threw her arms around him, smiling broadly as Jeff kissed her passionately. "I missed you so much…"

"Not as much as I missed you," Jeff muttered, kissing her again before he held her close to him, feeling comforted by her presence. "Though I am curious as to what you're doing. I thought you'd be sleeping."

"Oh, that? It's nothing," Beth said with a slight laugh, shaking his wondering off. "Nothing important anyway."

Jeff smiled down on her, gently kissing her forehead. "Well, it must be important to you if you're doing it this late at night," he countered. "And if it's important to you, it's important to me."

Beth returned the smile, though it wavered slightly. "I… I couldn't sleep," she explained. "And, so I wasn't just sitting around and… thinking about things, I decided to go through this box to see if there was anything that I actually needed. It's just some old stuff from when I was in high school and our earlier years together before I moved in with you. My parents sent it to me while you and Matt were gone. They thought it would help cheer me up after the… well, after the tragedy…"

Her sentence trailed off, and Jeff sighed as he gently ran his fingers up and down her arm in a comforting manner. It was then he realized that she couldn't sleep because of memories of the house fire, the horror from that night still fresh in her mind. In that long moment where he simply held her, he wondered how many nights Beth had suffered alone with her thoughts, how many sleepless hours she had longed for something else to cling onto. Jeff knew that he didn't want to leave Beth again so that he could be there to protect her from those memories.

"Here, let's take a look at this, Beth," Jeff said quietly, bringing her over to the closet and looking down at the shoebox that she had previously been going through. He knelt down in front of it, Beth beside him, and he slowly lifted the lid to see its contents since Beth had covered it back up before she greeted him.

"You're going to have to explain all this to me," Jeff muttered, completely lost. A lot of the pictures and items in the box were from an era of his girlfriend's life that he hadn't been a part of.

Beth smiled as she pulled out a golf ball and handed it to him. "I had a close group of friends during all four years of high school," she told him. "We were all walking through a park near a golf course one day, and we found these random golf balls on the trail. So, we each decided to take one to keep as some sort of token. It's silly, I know, but it means a lot."

Jeff smiled, setting the golf ball down as Beth handed him a program. "You were in the school play," he said, seeing that it had been "Beauty and the Beast."

"Yep." Beth opened it, pointing to her highlighted name. "I was Mrs. Potts."

"I think you should have been Belle," Jeff told her, kissing her nose and making her laugh.

"Yeah, well, I had fun anyway." Beth then proceeded to pull out a few pictures and handed them to him as she explained them. "Here's our senior trip to Niagara Falls. And this is my graduation picture. We had a pretty small class. Oh, this was the party I had with my friends before we went our separate ways to school or work and stuff. And this is my prom picture from senior year…"

Again, Beth's sentence trailed off as Jeff raised his eyebrows when he saw the last picture she gave him. "Who's the guy?" he wondered.

"Don't worry about him, Jeffro," Beth laughed as she rubbed his arm. "Prom was the only night I guess you could say I _dated_ him. His name was Brett. He was on the football team. But, he's nothing compared to this guy here."

Beth took the prom picture from Jeff and set it on the pile with the others before pulling another from the box and giving it to him. Jeff smiled when he saw that it was a picture of a younger Beth, out of high school, standing in the arms of a boy with hair dyed red.

"Hmm, he's quite handsome," Jeff teased as he set the picture down and wrapped his arms around Beth. "I may have competition."

"No one could compare to you in my eyes," Beth told him reassuringly, kissing him quickly.

Jeff smiled, tenderly brushing some hair out of her face. "You're the only one I'll ever want, Beth," he whispered. "You're the only one I'll ever need. I don't know what I would do without you."

Beth could feel tears coming to her eyes, but she blinked them away as she looked back in the box. "Remember this?" she asked, pulling out a fake but beautiful red rose. "You gave it to me on our first date, telling me that you would love me until the day it wilted."

"I do remember that, and I meant every word," Jeff answered with a laugh since their first date had been dinner and a movie at Beth's house. "Your dad thought I was a bit eccentric when he first met me when you brought me home with you."

"Well, if it makes you feel any better, he hasn't thought any differently to this day," Beth muttered as she laughed also. Then, she beamed when she pulled out a silver chain with a brass key on it. "And then there's this…"

"The key to my heart," Jeff stated, wrapping his hand around Beth's so they both held the key. "You're the only one who will ever have this. It belongs to you and you alone."

Beth sighed as she leaned back against Jeff's chest, feeling comforted being surrounded by the warmth of his body. The past week had been Hell without Jeff to say the least- there hadn't been one night where she hadn't longed to be in his arms, those tattooed arms that shielded her from the problems of the world. And now, that's exactly where she was, right where she was supposed to be. He was here now- everything was going to be all right.

She was startled out of her thoughts when Jeff suddenly laughed a little. "What's this?" he wondered, reaching his free hand forward since his other was occupying Beth's waist. "It's pretty crazy."

"Oh, that?" Beth smiled when she saw the small teddy bear that he had taken out of the box. Its body was white, but the hair on its head that at one time had been the same color was dyed rainbow. "My best friend gave that to me on the last day of senior year. She told me that it was meant to represent the one person you're meant to spend the rest of your life with. After I met you, I knew the bear didn't fit you properly since little did I know my Prince Charming was going to have crazy hair. So, I found some dye and made it more… well, more _you_. Besides, with this, it feels like you're never far away, even when you're on the road."

Jeff sighed as he rested his chin on top of Beth's head. "I'll never be far away, Beth," he told her. "I'll be here for you whenever you need me, even if I'm only a phone call away. Speaking of which, I wish you had called me when you were having trouble sleeping this past week, Beth."

"I didn't want to worry you, Jeffro," Beth confessed, lightly tracing Jeff's root tattoo with her fingertip. "You had enough to worry about this week. I didn't want to burden you down with something else."

"Beth, helping you is never a burden," Jeff said, gently tilting her face up to meet his gaze. "We're both going through a rough time right now, and this is when we need each other the most. I want to be there for you however I can be."

"You always are." Beth gave him a small smile, staring deep into his captivating green eyes. "That's what I love about you."

Jeff smiled in return, but before he could say anything else, Beth suddenly reached into the box again. "I want to show you something," she said, pulling out a book.

"The Scarlet Letter?" Jeff read the title as he glanced at the cover before flipping it open to the page Beth had marked by turning the corner down.

"It's my copy from Advanced English," Beth explained. "Did you ever read it in school?"

"My class did," Jeff told her with a smile, and Beth laughed.

"Anyway, do you see the section I starred?" she asked. "That's my favorite passage in the entire book. It has a lot of significance to me."

Jeff found the section Beth had drawn a star by, and he cleared his throat as he read aloud, "It was no wonder that they thus questioned one another's actual and bodily existence, and even doubted of their own. So strangely did they meet, in the dim wood, that it was like the first encounter, in the world beyond the grave, of two spirits who had been intimately connected in their former life…"

"Do you see why I love that passage?" Beth wondered, resting her head on Jeff's shoulder as she looked at the page also.

"Is this what it felt like when we first met?" Jeff asked quietly, turning his head slightly to look down at her.

Beth smiled as she looked back up at him. "Yes," she answered just as quietly. "That and more."

Jeff smiled as he put the book back down in the box, putting everything that they had taken out back in. "You should keep this in a special place, Beth," he suggested. "All of these things are worth saving. They're priceless memories."

"Yeah. I think I'll put it here for now." Beth stood up and crossed the room, setting the shoebox down on the dresser alongside her most recent pictures with her core group of friends in North Carolina. "That's a good spot for it."

"Yes, it is," Jeff agreed, coming up behind her and wrapping his arms around her waist as he looked at the box. "But what do you say we go to bed now? I'm exhausted."

"All right. That's fine…" There was a definite hesitance in Beth's tone. Her sleep had been anything but peaceful as of late.

Jeff gently turned her around to face him, and he gave her a reassuring smile when she looked up at him uncertainly. "You don't have to be afraid of nightmares anymore, Beth," he told her quietly. "I'm here. There's nothing to be afraid of."

Beth smiled back up at him, knowing that he was right. He was here. She wasn't alone anymore. There was nothing to fear. Then, she closed her eyes, meeting Jeff's lips in a tender kiss. She had missed their softness, longed for their gentleness. Jeff placed his hands on Beth's waist as she wrapped her arms around his neck so that there was no space between them.

"Thank you," Beth whispered once they broke the kiss, still remaining close to him.

"Always," Jeff promised, kissing her again. "But let me get changed, and I'll join you in bed."

Beth nodded, kissing his lips one more time before she pulled away from him and lay down on her pillow. Now that Jeff was back, she knew that shadows wouldn't be haunting her mind that night.

Jeff quickly pulled off his shirt and changed into the shorts he wore for sleeping, anxious to join Beth. He switched off the lamp before he climbed into bed beside her, pulling her into his arms as he found a comfortable position to lie in. He had missed this terribly.

"Good night, Jeffro," Beth mumbled, resting her head on his chest and wrapping her arm around his waist as she closed her eyes. That night was the first she was not afraid of what she would see.

"Good night, Beth," Jeff replied, kissing the top of her head as he rubbed her back. "Sweet dreams."

**Author's Note**: That's it for chapter one! Not too exciting, but it sets everything up for what's to come. I promise, there will be a lot more action. Thanks for reading! Your reviews are much appreciated (just no flames please)! Thank you!


	2. Baliamos

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing associated with the WWE.

**Author's Note**: Hey! I'm glad I'm getting a positive response to this so far! I haven't seen too many Jeff/Beth fics, so I thought I'd put out my own, and I'm glad it's liked! Special thanks to **-.I .Dream .of .Hardyz-** and **xOallisonqtOx** for their encouraging reviews. I really appreciate them! Oh, and I forgot to mention this in the first chapter, but the other superstars in this story besides the Hardys will be Shannon Moore, Randy Orton, Edge, The Undertaker, Shawn Michales, and Triple H. One of them actually appears in this chapter. So, I hope you enjoy it!

Chapter 2- Baliamos

**Artist**: _Enrique Iglesias_

Matt smiled to himself as he listened to Beth and Jeff go through the box she had received in the mail. Even though the fire had destroyed everything they had once considered to be their home, memories were the hardest things to lose. Granted, their fans had sent many pictures and wrestling memorabilia to Jeff, but it just wasn't the same as having your own memories, which was what made a house a home. He was glad that Beth's parents had sent her some of her most treasured memories, some of which she shared with his brother when they had begun their new life together.

Not wanting to eavesdrop anymore, Matt quietly went to his room so they wouldn't know he had been there at all. He was relieved that Beth's mood seemed to be improving with the arrival of the box. Her sinking depression had worried both him and Jeff, but he knew he couldn't blame her. Only a couple short weeks ago, she had lost everything, and her whole world had been turned upside down. Jeff tried to be there for her as much as he could, but it was difficult when he was on the road so much and not to mention under a lot of stress from the fire himself.

However, Jeff was always putting Beth first, and the love he obviously showed her and the arrival of this box from her parents seemed to be lifting her spirits. That was a great relief since he missed the usual upbeat nature of his little sister.

Matt sat down on the bed, turning his television on and taking out his phone to update his Twitter so his followers would know that he was home and happy. He set his phone back down as soon as he was done, stretching out on the bed as he lay back against the pillows so he could relax and watch the late-night movie, which was already halfway over. His eyes began to droop as he mindlessly watched the screen, his own exhaustion finally starting to catch up with him…

"Hey, Matt?"

Startled by the sudden, quiet voice, Matt gasped as he looked over at the door. He was surprised to see Beth standing in the doorway, looking at him nervously. "What's up, Britt?" he asked as he sat up, feeling a little worried. "Everything okay?"

"Yeah," Beth answered with a sigh as she quickly entered the room and sat down on the bed next to the man she considered to be her older brother. "Jeffro's sleeping, but I just wanted to thank you again for taking us in while we work on the new house. I know we must be in the way…"

"What? Hell no! Britt, you guys aren't in the way! You're family. There is nowhere else I would rather have you go now," Matt told her, placing his hand on her knee. "And I've already told you, there's no reason to thank me. I know you guys would do the same for me if I was in your place."

Beth gave him a small smile as she leaned forward and hugged the older Hardy tightly. "I know, but it just feels like I can't thank you enough for your kindness. It means so much to me," she muttered.

Matt hugged her back before holding her by the shoulders so he could look her in the eye. "Just promise me one thing, Britt," he said quietly.

"Of course, Matt," Beth replied without hesitation. "What?"

"Just please tell me that you'll be there for Jeff," Matt told her. "He may not admit it, but he needs you too, now more than ever."

Beth squeezed Matt's hand reassuringly. "I'll always be there for Jeff," she promised. "I always have been just as he has always been there for me. Believe me, I need him too."

Matt smiled, ruffling her hair a little in a brotherly way. "I know." That was all he could think of to say. He knew how broken both Jeff and Beth were after the tragedy, and he also knew it would take time to rebuild their lives again. "Get some sleep, Britt. You look exhausted."

"Okay. You get some sleep too. It looks like you need it." Beth returned the smile as she quickly kissed his cheek. "Good night, Matt. I'll see you in the morning."

"Good night, Britt." Matt watched as Beth got to her feet and left the room, shutting the door behind her, the smile lingering on his face. He knew she was scared about what the future held for her and Jeff now, but again, he couldn't blame her. After losing everything they had once had, they had to start again from scratch, which was a terrifying and stressful situation. But, he felt comforted knowing that they had each other during this difficult time, and that was the most important thing.

But Beth had a point. He had to get some sleep. Matt yawned as he switched the T.V. back off and put his cell phone on the small table beside the bed, quickly changing into his shorts for sleeping before turning the light off. The last thought on his mind as his head hit the pillow was how great it was to be in his own bed again.

* * *

Jeff slowly opened his eyes when the early morning sunlight hit them. He stretched after sleeping soundly through the entire night for the first time in a week, wincing slightly when his shoulder throbbed. Yep, something had definitely happened to it. He would have to get some pain medication from Matt as soon as he went downstairs.

He looked beside him, smiling when he saw that Beth was still asleep, curled against his side. Jeff knew that she desperately needed that sleep, so he wasn't going to wake her. Instead, he leaned over, tenderly kissed her cheek, and whispered in her ear, "I love you." Beth smiled in her sleep, and Jeff carefully climbed out of bed so he wouldn't disturb her, threw on a t-shirt, and quietly left the room so she would remain asleep for at least a little while yet.

When we went down to the kitchen, Jeff saw that Matt was already up, a can of Monster in his hand as he looked through frozen dinners in the freezer, probably for lunch. "Mornin'," the younger Hardy mumbled, sitting down at the table.

Matt glanced back at him. "Hey, good morning," he said with a smile. "How ya' doing?"

"I feel like shit, Man," Jeff told him, rubbing his tired eyes to get the sleep out of them. "My shoulder hurts every time I move. Do you have any Ibuprofen or something I could take?"

"Sure thing, Jeff." Matt closed the freezer and set his Monster on the counter before he went to the cupboard above the sink, taking out a cup and filling it with cold water before going to a cabinet on the other side of the bar and pulling out a bottle of Ibuprofen. He poured two into his hand before putting the bottle away, setting the pills and water on the table in front of his brother. "Was it the stretcher match?"

"I think so," Jeff said, swallowing the pills and drinking about half the glass of water. "I'm not sure if I pulled a muscle or just landed on it wrong, but it hurts like hell."

Matt sighed as he sat at the small table across from Jeff. "I might have had something to do with that, so I'm sorry if I did," he muttered.

Jeff gave him a small smile as he took another drink of water. "It's all right, Man," he replied. "Shit, it's not like you did it on purpose or somethin'…"

"So, other than that did you sleep okay, Man?" Matt asked.

"Oh, yeah. It felt great to be with Beth again," Jeff answered as he finished off the glass. "I miss her so much when we're on the road… Damn, she was a mess without us here this past week, Man. Dreams of the fire and shit…"

Matt looked at his younger brother sadly, but his worry for the girl was shared. "Well, you haven't exactly been your normal smart-ass self either, oh brother of mine," he tried to tease. "It'll just take some time for things to go back to normal."

Jeff sighed as he tightened the twister that held his hair back out of his face. "I know. I just don't think it would be a good idea for me to leave her again, Matt. I need to be here for her for a while…"

"You know that Vince won't give you any more time off, no matter how fucked up everything is," Matt muttered. "Especially now with our storyline. Why don't we bring her on the road with us when we leave for L.A. tomorrow? That way, she won't have to be alone." It was one of their shortest breaks from the schedule, but after their flight home was delayed after the extra autograph signing days, it was to be expected. They had to be there for the filming of Smackdown the next day, or else Vince would have their heads.

"That's a thought…" Jeff mused. "We'll have to talk to her about it."

"I'm sure she'll agree," Matt said with a smile.

"Yeah, me too. And I wouldn't mind either."

The two brothers sat in silence for about five minutes before they heard approaching footsteps. Jeff smiled as he turned in his chair and watched as a sleepy Beth entered the kitchen.

"Morning, Boys," she greeted, her mood greatly improved as she stopped behind Jeff and quickly kissed him. Jeff tried to wrap his arm around her, but he sighed when his shoulder protested to the action. Beth's gaze flickered in alarm. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, it's just my shoulder. I did something to it during the last match," Jeff told her. "It hurts, but I just took some Ibuprofen, so hopefully, that'll help. Nothing to worry about."

"Well, I hope it feels better," Beth said, massaging his pained shoulder for a moment before she went to the coffeemaker on the counter. Jeff got up and followed her, grabbing two mugs from the cupboard so they could both have some coffee as Beth started the machine.

"Do you have any plans for today?" Jeff asked her.

Beth smiled as she leaned against his side, and Jeff put his arm around her. "No, not really," she replied. "I was hoping to just spend the day here and relax. You're welcome to join me, of course."

"Where else would I be?" Jeff smiled in return as he kissed her forehead.

"If this is going to be one of your make-out sessions, could you please take it to the other room?" Matt asked teasingly as he tried to keep the atmosphere light. That's what they needed the most right now. "I don't want to see that."

Jeff gave him an evil smirk, suddenly grabbing Beth and pulling her up against him as he kissed her passionately. Matt sighed and rolled his eyes as he got up from the table and went into the living room, a slight laugh escaping from him. They were impossible. Beth laughed as she broke the kiss with Jeff a minute later, leaning into his embrace as she watched the older Hardy.

"Do you have anything planned for today?" she called after him.

"Yeah, I was planning on taking Lucas to get groomed this afternoon since it's been a while," Matt told her from the other room. "The house will still be in one piece when I get back, right?"

"Maybe," Jeff said with a laugh. "We won't do anything too bad, don't worry. But, we can't make any promises."

"Asshole," Matt muttered with a smile as he sat down on the couch and turned on the television, flipping through the channels to find something good.

Suddenly, Beth shrieked with surprise when the coffeemaker began to boil over since she had been distracted by Jeff's sudden display of affection and hadn't been watching it, and they both laughed as she quickly turned it off and he helped her start to clean the small mess up. From the living room, Matt smiled as he shook his head. He had promised his non-human baby that he would take him to be spoiled today, but now, he was almost afraid for his house while they were gone.

* * *

Matt left with Lucas at about two in the afternoon, and since they had all woken up later than usual, Beth began thinking about making lunch for her and Jeff around three. Jeff was lying on the couch in the living room, watching some weird movie on the Syfy channel to relax, and she turned on the radio near the bar before she began to go through the fridge to find something to eat. This was partially because she liked to listen to music while she made food and partially because it would help her to ignore the creature sounds on the television as it ate people. But what she was going to make was the question. She had hamburger last night… sandwiches seemed lame… she wasn't in the mood for leftover pizza…

It sounded like it was one of those "blast to the past" days on her favorite radio station as "You Really Got Me" by Van Halen, her preferred version, ended, and she decided to keep that same spirit and went to the cupboard beneath the sink and grabbed a box of Kraft macaroni and cheese. It had been one of her favorite meals as a kid. Besides, it made a good lunch. There was nothing wrong with having macaroni and cheese.

Beth took out a pot and placed it on the stove, filling it with the amount of water needed as she turned the flame on so it could begin to boil. While she waited, leaning back against the bar, Beth smiled when she heard the beginning guitar strums of a song she knew well. It had been one of her mother's favorites when she was growing up. Not only that, but it was also the first song she and Jeff had ever danced to when they were at her parents' anniversary party. It was a special song to her.

Jeff entered the kitchen then with a smile on his face as he approached her. "So, what are you making?" he asked, putting his arm around Beth's waist.

"Macaroni and cheese," Beth answered, resting her head on Jeff's shoulder. "But that's not the real reason you're in here, is it? You heard the song."

"How can I hear this song and not think of you?" Jeff muttered with a smile, kissing her cheek. "What do you say we dance, just like last time?"

_"Tonight we dance_

_I leave my life in your hands…"_

Beth laughed. "Enticing offer, Jeffro, but not right now," she replied. "I'm making lunch."

Jeff turned her around to face him with a small smile. "Would three minutes really hurt anything?" he wondered innocently.

"Right now, yes," Beth told him. "The water's about to boil. I need to watch it." She began to walk back over to the stove, but she stopped and looked over her shoulder when Jeff gently grabbed her hand.

"Just one dance," he whispered, his brilliant green eyes gazing lovingly into hers.

_"Don't let a moment go by_

_Nothing can stop us tonight…"_

Beth sighed in defeat, not able to resist the allure of those eyes. So what if they didn't eat for a little while yet? They had all night. Besides, it might be even longer before she and Jeff had another moment like this together. Giving up, she finally allowed Jeff to pull her against him as they began to dance.

_"Baliamos_

_Let the rhythm take you over_

_Baliamos…"_

The kitchen seemed to disappear around her as Beth looked up into Jeff's eyes, moving with him in perfect sync to the music that fueled them. Nothing else mattered- it was only her and him, moving together as they lost themselves in this special moment. It was these moments with him where she truly felt complete.

_"I won't be leaving your side_

_We're gonna' dance through the night…"_

There was an unspoken promise woven into the music, and Beth moved closer to Jeff so her body fit perfectly with his. Though she had recently lost everything that she had come to know, she knew that she wouldn't lose Jeff. He would be there, even when the rest of her world crashed down around her. He would be the one thing that remained standing. She closed her eyes when he wound an arm around her, reinforcing what she already knew. Jeff would always be there for her.

As the song drew to a close, Jeff took her hand and twirled her once before leaning down and gently kissing her. Beth returned it, wrapping her arms around his waist as he pulled her closer, the kiss intensifying slightly.

"Okay, I admit I'm glad you made me dance," Beth muttered once they parted, cherishing the feeling of still being wrapped in his sturdy arms.

"I knew you would in spite of yourself," Jeff replied with a smile, running his finger lightly over her cheek before he glanced at the stove. "Um, I'm sorry about lunch…"

Beth looked over her shoulder, seeing that the water in the pot had boiled over and had gotten all over the stovetop and counter. She hadn't even noticed. She smiled a little, reaching over and turning off the heat. "Oh, well," Beth said as she turned her attention back to Jeff. "It's easy enough to boil water again."

"Or, if you don't want to do that, we could always order something," Jeff suggested.

"Yeah, there's that too." At that moment, Beth really didn't care what she ate. The only thing that mattered was that she was with Jeff.

Suddenly, they heard loud clapping, and Beth gasped as Jeff tensed around her when someone else entered the kitchen. "Bravo, you guys are wonderful! And to make it better, I got a pic of you guys dancing for Twitter!"

"Damn it, Shannon, you asshole!" Beth snapped, pulling away from Jeff and glaring at her friend. "Don't you ever knock?"

Shannon Moore grinned as he stopped on the other side of the bar so he could have enough space to back away in case Beth decided to take a swing at him. "I did, but you guys didn't answer," he told her innocently. "So, I let myself in using the spare key you gave me. I'm glad I did because it seems like I would have been out there for a long time if I had waited. You guys were busy."

Beth rolled her eyes, not wanting to hear what else he had to say, as she started to look for a towel to clean up the mess on the stove. Jeff smirked as he watched her for a moment before turning to one of their best friends. "So, what _are_ you doing here, Shan?" he asked. "There must be some reason for your intrusion."

"I'm just checking in to see how you guys are doing since you're finally home," Shannon answered, jumping up so he was sitting on the counter since the danger known as Beth was gone for the time being. "I miss my friends when they're on the road." He even threw in a pout for added effect.

"I bet you do, Shan," Beth said, glaring at him darkly as she finished wiping up the stove and counter. "Who else are you going to harass?"

"Exactly, there's no one!" Shannon confirmed with a laugh. "But really, I'm glad you guys are back. It gets boring without you and Matt here."

Jeff looked like he was about to say something in response, but before he could, they all heard the front door open, and they watched as Lucas ran into the kitchen excitedly. He stopped in front of Shannon, sitting on the floor and barking up at him happily.

"Well, look what the cat dragged in," Matt greeted with a smile as he entered the kitchen a minute later with a big bag of dog food in his arms. "Glad you made it on time, Shan."

"Thanks, Man," Shannon muttered with irritation. "But, no problem. I wouldn't miss it."

"In time for what?" Beth wondered as she turned to face the older Hardy. "What are you talking about?"

"Well…" Matt began while he put the bag of dog food down against the wall, but then he noticed the box of macaroni and cheese sitting on the counter and the pot on the stove. "You guys didn't eat already, did you?"

"No," Beth told him, still confused. "I started to make lunch, but then I, uh… got distracted…" She glanced at Jeff and blushed as her sentence trailed off.

Matt laughed at seeing her look of embarrassment. "Whatever you guys did, I'm glad you did since it stopped you from eating," he said as he stood next to his brother. "Shannon's here because I invited him. We're having a cookout tonight!"

"A cookout?" Beth repeated. "Any reason why?"

"The weather's gorgeous for one thing," Jeff chimed in for the older Hardy with a caring smile. "And we thought that we just needed to have some fun after everything that's happened recently."

"Wait. _You_ knew about this?" Beth wondered as she looked at Jeff almost accusingly.

Jeff laughed. "Yep. Matt and I planned it yesterday before we got home," he explained. "It was my job to make sure that you didn't make anything for us to eat until Matt got back."

"Mission accomplished, Soldier," Matt commended him with a broad smile, giving him a high-five.

Beth shook her head as she looked from Matt to Shannon and back as Jeff approached her and put his arms around her, holding her close to him. Tears formed in her eyes, and she laughed as she blinked them away. No matter how obnoxious they could be at times, she loved her boys dearly, and she was just glad they were home.

**Author's Note**: The dancing thing was actually inspired by the song I used for the name of this chapter, which is why it's named what it is. Just a cute little moment for Jeff and Beth. I hope you liked it! Your reviews are much appreciated. Thank you!


	3. Live for the Moment

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing associated with the WWE.

**Author's Note**: Yay, I'm glad you guys liked chapter two! Thanks again to **-.I .Dream .of .Hardyz-** and **xOallisonqtOx **for your reviews, and special welcome to **Expect-the-Unexpected75 **and **Inday** for joining! I'm glad you all like this story! I hope you like this chapter too. Oh, yeah, and I forgot to mention that Chris Jericho is also in this story a little bit later on. Poor Christiana lol. I didn't mean to forget you. Anyway, I hope you like chapter three! Yep. It's named after Matt Hardy's entrance theme lol. Enjoy!

Chapter 3- Live for the Moment

**Artist**: _Monster Magnet_

"All right! Hurry up and serve, Shan!"

After Matt had grilled up hot dogs, brats, and hamburgers- he always had to be careful since Beth didn't like anything too burnt while he preferred his burnt to a crisp, which left Jeff and Shannon somewhere in the middle- and Beth made macaroni and cheese for a side dish, the four decided to play a game of badminton. Beth immediately chose to be on Jeff's team, and Shannon had no choice but to be with Matt. Right now, Jeff and Beth were leading five to two.

"Yeah, yeah. Patience is a virtue, you know!" Shannon took the birdie he held in his hand and tossed it in the air, hitting it overhand.

"It's supposed to be an underhand serve, Shan," Matt told him matter-of-factly with a slight grin.

Shannon turned to look at the older Hardy with an eyeroll. "I know it's supposed to be underhand, Mr. I-Know-Everything, but this works just as well."

Anticipating the different serve, Jeff was able to hit the birdie back over the net, smirking as he watched it hit the ground on the other side. "Not so much," Matt muttered while Jeff and Beth high-fived each other with their rackets.

As the game continued, it got much more intense and almost violent, especially with the rivalry between Beth and Shannon since she had beat him in an epic battle of Wii bowling before they came outside. The number of points each team had were soon forgotten as everyone went full out, and the game only ended when night fell and it was too dark to see the birdie anymore. Beth ran into the house to grab hooded sweatshirts for everyone to help with the pesky bugs, and she also took Lucas outside with her since he was really excited and wanted to be around people. He shouldn't have to be kept up in the house while everyone else was outside having fun.

When she reached the area where they had been playing badminton, Lucas barking excitedly at her feet, Beth stopped abruptly when she saw that Matt was standing in front of a bonfire he had started as he fueled it so he could make it bigger. Shannon stood beside him, holding a large bag of marshmallows, two boxes of honey gram crackers, and a few packs of Hershey's chocolate bars with a smile on his face while Jeff hung back a bit, merely staring at the fire blankly. Beth gasped quietly, her gaze only holding the flames as the sweatshirts dropped from her arms.

Jeff instantly tore his gaze away from the fire to look at her with concern while Shannon turned to look at her with confusion. "You okay, Beth?" he wondered.

Beth didn't answer him. Her eyes only rested on the dancing fire in front of her as it grew bigger, memories from that night quickly rushing to her mind…

_She and Jeff pulled up to their house, horrified by the sight before them. Their home was engulfed in flames with thick, black smoke billowing up to the starless night sky above them. She stared in shock as firefighters attempted to put out the fire, but she knew it was too late. They had already lost everything, as Matt had told them, including their beloved dog, Jack…_

_Jeff immediately climbed out of the car and began running toward the house, and she slowly followed him, not sure if she should trust her legs to work properly yet. The closer she got to what once resembled a house, the more intense the heat got. She was afraid to get any closer. She soon approached Jeff, and she was alarmed to see so many different emotions pass across his face at once- confusion, horror, sorrow, rage… It was overwhelming._

_As soon as he realized she was beside him, Jeff wrapped her tightly in his arms and held her close. She clung to him like a lifeline, feeling tears fill her eyes and fall quickly as she began to sob. She felt Jeff's breath catch in his chest, and she heard a nearly silent, choked sob escape from him as well. She knew that what was devastating them the most wasn't the loss of their house, but the loss of Jack. He had practically been their child._

_She barely noticed when Matt rushed over to them, throwing his arms around both of them. She was relieved for the security of both pairs of arms, but she didn't find much comfort in them. Her eyes only held the flames before her, knowing that they would always be imprinted on her memory…_

"Whoa, Lucas!"

Beth gasped as she was brought out of her thoughts by Shannon's exclamation. She tore her eyes from the flames, watching as her friend awkwardly balanced all the s'mores stuff in one hand while he grabbed the end of the dog's leash with his other. It would have been a comical sight if her thoughts weren't so dark. But she hadn't even realized she had let go of it…

Matt glanced at Shannon before turning to look at Beth with wonder. Jeff took a couple of steps toward her, knowing that something was wrong, but he stopped when she held up her hands and stepped back a little. "Beth…" he muttered, clearly worried.

She mouthed the words, "I'm sorry" to him, feeling tears beginning to form in her eyes. Then, Beth turned and hurried down a path that wound through the trees around them that led to Jeff's interesting artwork and motocross track. Without even thinking, Jeff went after her.

"I wonder what's up with Beth," Shannon said, looking at Matt curiously.

"I'm not sure…" Matt watched his brother until he disappeared from sight before looking back at Shannon's concerned gaze. Then, he turned to look at the bonfire he had made, having an idea of what had bothered her.

* * *

Jeff walked along the narrow path, allowing the moonlight to guide him along. He wasn't sure what was bothering Beth so badly, but he knew where she was headed. This path led to the "Imagi-Nation," his personal world where he would often go to get away from everything. Beth was the only one he really intimately shared it with, and that was where his feeling was telling him she was now.

Then, he stopped and narrowed his eyes when a quiet sound reached his ears. Listening closer, he realized it sounded like crying… Really worried now, Jeff ran the rest of the way to where his motocross track was, and what he saw broke his heart in two.

Beth was sitting curled up on the ground at the top of one of the hills, her arms holding her knees to her chest in a protective way. In the light from the full moon, he could see the tears shining on her cheeks as she stared blankly out at the dirt course, seeming to be in some sort of daze. She didn't even seem to notice as Jeff approached her and knelt beside her, sighing as he gently wrapped his arms around her.

At first, Beth flinched at the touch, but then, she relaxed into his body as she looked up into Jeff's eyes and cried a little harder. He pulled her closer to his chest in hopes of comforting her, deciding not to say anything and just let her get her stored up feelings out. Beth clung to him tightly, those strong, tattooed arms providing her with a sanctuary. At that moment, she felt as though he was the only thing she had left.

"I'm so sorry, Jeffro," she muttered once she calmed down enough to speak, sniffing as she wiped her fresh tears away. "I didn't mean to ruin the bonfire…"

"Don't be ridiculous," Jeff replied, kissing her forehead delicately. "You didn't ruin anything. Besides, I'm more concerned about you. What's wrong?"

Beth sighed as she looked up at him with what appeared to be shame in her eyes. "I'm… not really sure, exactly," she told him. "It's just when I saw the fire Matt made, I just… had all of these memories from that night…"

_"There's a little pile of ashes_

_Where my old life used to be…"_

Jeff immediately knew what she was talking about. He remembered that night clearly too. The fear of seeing his own home being swallowed by flames, taking the life of his beloved dog… the heat from the fire on his skin… the feeling of Beth sobbing in his arms… the comfort Matt had tried to give them… the stress his body had been put through and lack of sleep, which caused his sickness… It had all been very overwhelming.

"You're strong, Beth," Jeff muttered as he broke out of his own thoughts of that fateful night. "You're strong, and we're going to get through this together. I promise."

"Not as strong as you," Beth said with a slight laugh as she smiled up at him.

Jeff smiled back down at her, gently wiping away some of the tears that still lingered on her cheeks with his thumb. "There are different kinds of strength, Beth," he whispered.

Beth closed her eyes, leaning into his light touch. The simple gesture was very comforting to her. "Jeffro?"

"Yes?"

She sighed as she took his hand in hers, their fingers lacing together. "Promise me you'll never leave me," Beth muttered, not able to meet his gaze. Her biggest fear now was losing Jeff, the one thing that mattered the most to her. "I can't do this alone."

Jeff tightened his other arm around her. That was an easy promise to make. He needed her too. "I won't, Beth, I promise," he told her quietly. "I'm here now, and I have no intention of leaving anytime soon. I'm not going anywhere you can't follow."

Beth smiled, feeling reassured by his words. She just couldn't repress the terrible thought that had crossed her mind more than once over the week he and Matt were gone. What if Jeff had been the one trapped in the house? What if Jeff had been the one burning to death while their home was consumed by flames? What if all that could have been found of Jeff afterward was his Hardy Boyz pendant? She had no idea what she would have done then. Jeff was her entire life- he could not be replaced.

"I'm sure Matt and Shannon are worried about us," Jeff suddenly said with a small smile, bringing Beth out of her morbid thoughts. "Are you ready to head back?"

"Hmm… not quite yet," Beth replied with a wink. She slowly leaned toward him, and realizing what she had in mind, Jeff met her lips in a kiss. It normally started gently, but Beth surprised herself with her intensity. Trapped in the moment, she didn't even notice that Jeff didn't mind. She had just longed for the softness of his lips, the taste of his kiss for what felt like forever…

Jeff deepened the kiss when Beth's lips parted beneath his, and he suddenly wished that they weren't outside at his motocross track. He would have preferred more privacy. They had it here, granted, but it was one of those places that they could easily be discovered if Matt, or more likely Shannon, were worried enough to come look for them. His hand lingered near Beth's hip while Beth rested her hand on his back, and he made a note to continue this later when they could truly be alone.

Finally, they reluctantly broke the kiss, and Jeff placed his forehead against hers as they worked on slowing their breathing. "Okay, I think I'm ready now," Beth said with a smile, taking his hand again. "Let's go back."

_As long as you're with me,_ she added silently as they got up and began to walk along the path side by side, _everything will be all right._

* * *

The rest of the bonfire had been a success. Many laughs were shared, many jokes were made, many threats were thrown around, especially by Beth and Shannon, and many s'mores were eaten.

After they all finally went to bed, Jeff found that he was the first one up the next morning. Beth was still asleep in their bed, Matt in his room, Lucas curled up somewhere in the living room, and even Shannon was lightly snoring on the couch where he had camped out since they had been up so late that night. It almost felt unnerving for him to be the only one awake.

Jeff quietly went to the kitchen so he wouldn't wake anyone and opened the refrigerator, seeing that they were out of some things that they should have in the house- milk, eggs, bread, and cheese. Well, that ruined his breakfast plan. He would have to run to the store quickly to pick those things up. He made a small list so he wouldn't forget anything and wrote a note to the others to tell them where he was in case anyone woke up so they wouldn't worry. Then, he found his keys and he went out to his car.

The drive was silent since he couldn't find anything good on the radio since it was mainly early morning talk shows, but fortunately, Jeff soon reached their small but friendly grocery store. The actual shopping was easy since three of the four items were close together, and he only had to sign a couple of autographs since not many people were at the store that early before he was standing in line to check out. There was a blonde girl standing behind him, staring at him intently and quietly giggling every once in a while. Jeff inwardly sighed, feeling uncomfortable and wondering when she was going to ask him for his autograph. It came as a surprise to him when she didn't, and he quickly grabbed his items and found himself walking out of the store and across the parking lot to his car soon after.

When he reached it, Jeff saw that there was a tall, intimidating, dark-haired man leaning against the black car next to his, his dark eyes stabbing into him as he approached. He tried to ignore the man, but he was still feeling really nervous as he unlocked only the driver's door and climbed in behind the wheel. Jeff turned to place his bag in the backseat before locking his door and starting the car, driving away from the strange man as quickly as he could without looking too suspicious. There was something about him that disturbed him greatly…

While waiting at a red light after he left he parking lot, Jeff gasped when a strange feeling suddenly came over him. He wasn't sure what, but he had the feeling that something was very wrong at the house. He pulled out his cell phone, finding Matt's cell number on speed dial and calling it. The younger Hardy hoped his feeling was wrong. He hoped that his older brother would pick up and tell him that things were fine. But, his heart dropped when the call went straight to his voicemail instead.

Very anxious to get home now, he was relieved when the light finally turned green, and he drove over the speed limit as much as he dared so he could get there faster. He had to get to the house…

Jeff sped down the street more and more the closer and closer he got to home, not minding the speed limit signs or the possibility that he could be caught speeding by the police. All that mattered was that he got to the house as quickly as possible to make sure that everything was all right. Finally, he reached the smaller road that led to his and Matt's shared property, and he drove down it like a bat out of Hell, all caution thrown to the wind. He wanted to know what was giving him that bad feeling.

When he reached his brother's house, Jeff slammed on the brakes when he was met with a terrifying sight. No… not again…

Matt's house was completely engulfed in flames with black, billowing smoke rising to the early morning sky. Even from inside the car, the smell was unbearable. It made him sick to his stomach.

"Shit!" Jeff hissed, switching off his car before getting out and running toward the burning house. He remembered all too clearly the horror of the night his own house burned to the ground, and he couldn't believe that it was now happening to Matt's. He only hoped that everyone inside had gotten out all right.

But as he got closer, Jeff felt his heart quicken anxiously when he heard two quiet but familiar shouts of panic. "Matt! Shannon!" he shouted, running around and desperately searching for a way inside to help them. "Hold on! I'm coming!" Could they hear him over the nearly deafening sound of the flames? He wasn't sure. The only thing he was sure about was that he was going to find a way inside to help them escape.

Then, Jeff heard a terrified scream that almost made his heart stop. "_Beth_!" He ran to the nearest window, hardly able to see inside since he couldn't get too close. But what he did see was Beth kneeling on the living room floor among the flames, trying to curl in on herself protectively. "Beth!" Jeff repeated nervously, his voice breaking as tears formed in his eyes. "Beth!"

_Oh, God, please let her hear me,_ he added in silent prayer. _Let her get out alive, along with Matt and Shannon. Please…_

Beth suddenly looked up at the window, and Jeff noticed that she appeared to be crying but no tears were falling since the intense heat from the fire dried them immediately. But she saw him, and she desperately reached her hand out toward him with fear.

"Hold on, Beth!" Jeff stared at her with terror, feeling a single tear fall from his eye that was also immediately taken by the heat. A few sparks then flew, and he had to cover his head to protect himself. It wasn't going to be easy, but Jeff knew that he was going to do everything he had to do to get inside and save the people he loved. He wasn't going to let them all die. They were all he had left…

But then, he heard the terrible sound of Beth's pained cry, and a scream ripped from Jeff's throat as he watched the flames consume the woman he loved most in the world.

**Author's Note**: Uh-oh. If you're new to my stories, then you'll quickly see that I'm notorious for cliffhangers lol. Things aren't looking so good now, but if you leave your reviews, I'll get the next chapter up as soon as possible! Thank you!


	4. Hotel California

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing associated with the WWE.

**Author's Note**: Hey! I'm glad you guys liked that last chapter, even with the evil ending. Thank you so much to **BubblyShell22** (for reviewing all three chapters at once!), **Graelam**, **-.I .Dream .Of .Hardyz-**, **Expect-the-Unexpected75**, and **the hardy boyz lover** for your reviews! And a special shout-out to **tracyh79 **for reading and reviewing since even though you don't really like wrestling, you're still giving this a shot. That means so much to me! And I promise, the next chapter of "Ice Moon" is almost done! So, I hope you all enjoy the next chapter! What happened after that ending? Well, you're about to find out.

Chapter 4- Hotel California

**Artist**: _The Eagles_

Beth slowly opened her eyes when she heard a strange sound from beside her. Sighing, she groggily looked around as she turned over onto her back on the bed to try to find its source, and she was startled by what she found.

Though he was sleeping, Jeff seemed to be very distressed as he shifted anxiously, and her heart throbbed painfully when she heard a soft whimper come from him. He must have been having a terrible nightmare.

"Jeffro," Beth muttered, placing her hand on his shoulder to try to gently bring him out of it. "Honey, please wake up."

The only response she got was another whimper from Jeff, and his struggling suddenly increased as a broken cry escaped from him. Beth covered her mouth as tears rushed to her eyes. She had never seen Jeff like this, never. It terrified her.

"Please, Jeffro, just wake up…"

Then, the door to the room suddenly opened, and the light from the hallway momentarily blinded her as Matt quickly entered. He must have Jeff's cry too. "What's wrong?" he asked anxiously, sitting down by his younger brother's side and placing his hand lightly on his chest.

"I don't know," Beth answered quietly, running her trembling fingers gently over Jeff's cheek. "I woke up since he began to whimper in his sleep. He must be having a nightmare."

Matt sighed with worry as he looked at his pale face. He had always been there to take care of Jeff, and now wasn't an exception. "Jeff, come on, Man," he said, shaking him with a bit more force than Beth had. "Wake up."

For a moment, Jeff appeared to calm down at the sound of the older Hardy's voice, and Beth let out the breath she had been holding as she blinked her tears away and Matt breathed a sigh of relief. But then, Jeff suddenly screamed again, and a quiet sob escaped from Beth when she heard it was her name.

"I'm right here, Jeffro," she whispered, kissing his lips quickly. "I'm right here…"

Jeff struggled for a minute longer before his eyes snapped open, his breathing heavy as his gaze frantically moved around the dark room. He relaxed slightly when he saw Matt sitting above him, giving him a comforting smile, but then tears filled his green orbs when he saw Beth.

"It's all right, Jeffro," Beth muttered, pulling him to her as she held his head close to her chest, holding him as a quiet sob escaped from him. "Everything's all right…"

Jeff clung to her tightly, his shoulders shaking as more tears fell from his eyes. He hated appearing weak in front of them, but he knew he would never forget the images in that dream since they had been so clear- Matt's flaming house… Beth trapped in a circle of fire… those same flames taking the woman he loved most in the world away… It was an unbearable thought since his biggest fear was losing Beth.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Beth wondered quietly, stroking his purple hair while Matt rubbed the younger Hardy's back. They were both deeply concerned about him.

"No," Jeff muttered in a hoarse tone, taking a deep breath to try to calm himself down. He feared that if he talked about his dream, he would break down again, which was something that he didn't want to do.

Matt sighed, realizing that he was probably out of place, and he slowly stood up. But, he was also relieved to see that Jeff appeared to be doing better. "I'm sorry about your nightmare," he said, seeing his brother's almost boyish green eyes looking up at him curiously from behind the shelter of Beth's arms. "If you need anything, you know where I am."

"Okay." Jeff watched as Matt looked down at him for a moment longer before turning and heading to the door. "Wait, Matt."

"Yes, Jeff?" Matt placed his hand on the doorknob before looking back at the younger Hardy.

There was now a small smile on Jeff's face as he straightened up a bit. "Thank you," he told him.

Matt returned the smile. "You're welcome, Jeffro," he replied before leaving the room, closing the door again behind him.

"Are you sure you don't want to talk about your nightmare?" Beth asked cautiously once he was gone. "It might help you."

"I'm sure. It's… something I don't want to talk about since it's a fear close to my heart," Jeff answered quietly as he sat up completely, winding his arm around Beth as he lovingly ran his fingers over her cheek, relieved that she was still him. She looked up at him curiously, but she didn't get the chance to say anything before Jeff leaned forward and caught her lips, sharing a deep, passionate kiss.

After a moment, Jeff pulled away a little, and Beth narrowed her eyes in confusion. "Promise me one thing, Beth," he said.

"What?" Beth had absolutely no idea what kind of promise he was going to ask her to make since it had seemingly come out of the blue, but she knew she would make it.

There was a gleam in Jeff's brilliant eyes as a smirk spread across his face. "Remind me not to go grocery shopping in the morning."

* * *

"Okay, maybe playing badminton yesterday wasn't the best idea," Jeff muttered, wincing as he bent down to grab his packed bags from the floor of the living room. "Shit…" His right shoulder, the one he had hurt in his last match with Matt, felt as though it was on fire as it protested to his movements. Playing the game had probably only made it worse.

"I hope you'll be ready for your match tonight, Jeffro," Matt said as he entered the living room. "But until then, I've got you covered." He held up his bottle of Ibuprofen for emphasis before throwing it into one of his bags.

Jeff smiled in return. "Thanks, Man."

"Anytime."

Both brothers then turned to the kitchen entryway when Beth came into the living room with her packed bags. "Are you guys ready?" she asked briskly as she approached Jeff. Though she tried to be upbeat, Matt couldn't help but notice how exhausted she looked, along with his brother. He knew neither one of them had slept well after Jeff's nightmare, and neither had he. But he had the feeling that he had slept a little more than they had.

"Yep. Come on, guys," Matt answered as he led the way to the front door. He hated leaving Lucas behind when they had to go on the road, but he felt better knowing that Uncle Shannon and Aunt Julie would be looking after him by coming to the house and making sure he was fed while they were gone. "Who's _not_ pumped about a long flight across the country?"

The term "long" wasn't an understatement.

After being delayed slightly because Beth's luggage had been lost, which always seemed to happen to her when she traveled, the three of them were finally seated on the plane headed for Los Angeles, California for the next Smackdown/ECW show. Matt sat at the window with Jeff next to him and Beth on his other side on the aisle. They were all too tired and out of sorts to start any real conversation, so Matt took out the book he had brought with him to read while Jeff and Beth shared a pair of earphones to listen to his iPod. It was a relatively peaceful flight since the brothers only had to sign a few autographs before Jeff dozed off and Matt demanded others to let him catch up on his rest since he desperately needed it after their rough night.

The highlight of the flight for Matt and Beth was when a young boy, maybe around eleven, came up to them and was amazed by the fact that a girl actually liked wrestling. He and the girl with him, probably his younger sister, were so impressed that the girl gave her toy dinosaur to Beth. Matt laughed as the children went skipping back to their parents, and Beth held onto the toy in her lap as she fell asleep with her head resting on Jeff's shoulder.

The plane landed a couple hours later, and though he was exhausted since he was the only one who had stayed awake for the entire flight, Matt ushered his younger siblings into the aisle so they could grab their bags and all get off the plane as quickly as possible. After they made their way through the crowded airport, Matt got them a rental car, but because he was more awake, Jeff was the one who drove as they headed to the hotel. Beth sat beside him, and Matt stretched out in the backseat to catch a quick nap.

The majority of the car ride was silent since Matt had dozed off and Beth and Jeff couldn't really think of any conversation starters, and they also didn't want to risk waking the older Hardy. But the silence didn't bother Beth. She was just relieved that she was able to be with Matt and Jeff and not be stuck home alone with her thoughts this time.

But when Jeff was starting to turn into the hotel parking lot, a black car suddenly sped out and hit the front right bumper of their car before accelerating down the street and out of sight. It had come out of nowhere…

"Shit!" Jeff exclaimed heatedly, his hands clenching the wheel tightly in an attempt to keep the car in control while Beth screamed. "Are you all right?"

"Fine," Beth muttered, her voice trembling slightly as she willed her heart to return to its normal rate. "Just startled…"

Jeff pulled into a nearby parking spot as Matt immediately sat up in a panic due to the jerk and the loud sound of the screams. "What happened?" he asked anxiously as he quickly looked around.

"Some fucking idiot hit us while speeding out of here," Jeff answered angrily while he switched the car off. "All I know is I'm not paying shit for that fucking bastard's…"

"Try to calm down, Jeffro," Beth said, lightly placing her hand on his arm. After a moment, Jeff took a deep breath and nodded, his hands finally releasing their iron grip on the wheel.

"Did you catch the license plate number, Jeffro?" Matt wondered.

"No," Jeff told him with a shake of his head. "It happened so quickly…"

"Well, let's just be grateful that none of us were hurt," Beth said lightly with a smile, looking from Jeff to Matt and back. "Let's head in."

"You guys go on ahead," Jeff muttered. "I'm going to hang back for a minute."

"You all right, Man?" Matt asked while Beth looked at him with concern.

"Yeah, fine. I just want to check on the car."

"All right. Be up soon, Jeffro." Beth leaned over and tenderly kissed his lips, smiling when he kissed her again after she pulled back a little. Jeff nodded and returned the smile, popping the trunk as Beth and Matt climbed out of the car and grabbed their bags. He watched the rear-view mirror as they began to walk to the hotel, and once they were inside, Jeff sighed and got out of the car. He pulled a cigarette and lighter out of his jeans pocket, lighting it and inhaling once as he went around to the front of the car to check out the damage that had been done due to the impact.

"Oh, shit…"

The right side of the front of the car was dented and scraped, but at least the bumper hadn't fallen off completely. Still, Jeff was determined not to pay a single penny for the damage since the collision hadn't been his fault.

"Excuse me, Jeff?"

Taking another hit off his cigarette, Jeff turned to look over his shoulder at the sound of the quiet voice, and he saw a girl with blonde hair watching him curiously. He looked into her brown eyes, noticing that they had a scared glint to them, and he couldn't help but think she looked familiar to him somehow, he just wasn't sure from where. "Yes?" He sighed, watching as the smoke rose toward the cloudless sky above him.

"My car broke down, and I have no way home since I don't have any money on me," the girl said, her voice sounding kind of pathetic. "I don't live far. Would it be possible if I could get a quick lift? I promise you it won't take long."

Jeff deeply inhaled on his cigarette as he thought about his answer. He had gotten strange requests from fans before, but never like this. Something told him that he shouldn't, that he should just join Beth and Matt in the hotel, that he should stop before he got into something he couldn't get out of. But, he quickly brushed that feeling aside. If it wasn't far, he didn't see the harm in helping the girl out, especially since she looked so freaked. If it was something his mother had instilled in him, it was manners.

"All right. Get in," Jeff told her, tossing the cigarette to the ground and smiting it with his shoe.

The girl's face lit up. "Thank you so much, Jeff," she replied as she opened the passenger door and climbed in. "This really means a lot."

Jeff sighed as he took out his cell phone, quickly finding Matt's number and calling it. That way, they wouldn't worry about him at least.

After the second ring, his brother picked up. "_Hello?_"

"Hey, Matt," Jeff said. "It's going to be a little while until I can join you and Beth."

"_Why, what's going on?_" Matt asked.

Jeff sighed again. "There's this girl who can't get home because her car broke down and she has no money," he answered as he pulled the car keys out of his pocket. "She doesn't live far. I'm going to give her a quick lift and be back."

Matt laughed a little on the other end. "_Okay, Man,_" he said. "_I'll see you in a little bit. Just be careful of any other crazy drivers, okay?_"

"All right, Man. See you in a bit. Bye."

"_Bye._"

Jeff ended the call and put the phone back in his pocket before opening the driver's door and climbing in behind the wheel. Without a word or glance at this strange girl, he started the car and backed out of the parking space, leaving the lot without any more incidents.

This girl, who he found out was named Brittany, really didn't live that far away, but they were taking a very obscure way to get there by making so many turns that he almost thought she was leading him in circles. Jeff was feeling very uncomfortable since she was continually staring at him and giggling every once in a while. That girlish laugh sounded very familiar also, he just wasn't sure from where.

Finally, Jeff pulled up in front of an older looking apartment building, which was where he had been led. It was a strange place with ivy growing thickly on the outer brick walls and trees surrounding it. It almost felt more like a prison than an apartment complex, probably since it was so cut off from the rest of the city. He just hoped that he could find his way back to the hotel.

"Well, there you are," Jeff said as he unlocked the car so she could get out. In this case, the sooner the better. There was something about this girl and her wide-eyed, blank stare that made him feel uneasy.

"Thank you, but aren't you going to take me to the door?" Brittany asked, looking at him curiously. "Father told me that a man should always walk a woman to the door." Though she appeared to be in her early twenties, there was something almost childlike about her.

Jeff was taken aback, feeling that the simple request was pushing the envelope a bit. He had just taken time to drive this girl to the middle of nowhere when he had no idea where he was even going, and now, she was asking him this? But then, he realized that he was probably overreacting. It wouldn't take long. "I… uh… Sure. Let's go," Jeff answered unsurely, fighting back the feeling that he should just leave now.

Brittany smiled as Jeff shut off the car, and she led the way up to the apartment building. She pulled the front door open, allowing Jeff to enter first, before she took him up to the second floor. "This one's mine," she told him, stopping in front of the door that said 2-C and taking out a key. She quickly unlocked the door and pushed it open, but before Jeff could walk away, Brittany turned back to him expectantly. "I want you to see this."

Sighing, Jeff stood in the doorway as Brittany entered the apartment and turned on the light. Jeff's eyes widened in horror at what he saw when she turned the light on. At that moment, he knew he should have listened to that initial feeling back at the hotel and not have even come here.

On every free space of the walls were pictures and posters of him through the years. He had never seen so many before. Scattered all over the living room also were several of his items, such as pillows, a blanket, and a towel, and there was even a cardboard cutout of him in the corner beside the window. As Jeff looked closer, he nervously saw that Brittany had taken pictures of him and Beth and taped her own face where Beth's should have been. Brittany was obsessed…

But what scared him the most was the violent display across from him. Jeff noticed with a sickening feeling that she had put pictures of Beth on the wall, and these pictures had pins put into her beautiful, smiling face. That made him extremely nervous.

"What the hell, Brittany?" Jeff muttered, not able to tear his eyes away from the shrine dedicated to him even though it disturbed him greatly.

"Oh, please. Call me Britt," the girl giggled, and suddenly, the sound wasn't so friendly anymore. It was almost malicious. "I know that's what your brother calls that girl who's always hanging around you. It's only fitting."

Jeff looked at her nervously, his fear only mounting. There was something _definitely_ not right with this girl. "Beth is my girlfriend, Brittany," he told her gently, hoping she would get his hint. "She's the only woman I'll ever want."

"I know all about her," Brittany said off-handedly. "But don't worry, that can all easily change."

This girl was fucking obsessed, that was the only way to describe it. And for some reason, that terrified Jeff. There had been a knot in his stomach that was only getting tighter and tighter the more she talked about Beth, and now, it was painful. He had to get out of here so he never had to see this fucked up girl again.

Shaking his head, Jeff stumbled back away from the smiling Brittany as she giggled again, nearly falling down the stairs as he rushed down them and hurried out to their rental car. Fumbling for the key, Jeff immediately sped away from the apartment building, hoping to get as far away from the place as he could without once looking back.

* * *

Jeff wasn't sure how he got back to the hotel, but he was filled with an overwhelming sense of relief as he pulled into the lot and parked, shutting off the car and laying his forehead on the steering wheel. Everything about that girl simply made a cold chill run down his spine- the lustful yet childlike way she stared at him, her obvious obsession with him, the personal vendetta she seemed to have against Beth… He desperately hoped he would never have to see this girl again. There just wasn't something right about her…

Suddenly, Jeff gasped and lifted his head when he heard a loud tap on the window and heard a deep, gruff voice ask, "Hey, Hardy, you okay?"

Sighing, Jeff turned to see who had disturbed him, and he saw that Paul Levesque, otherwise known as Triple H, was standing on the other side of his window looking down at him with concern. Next to him stood Shawn Michaels, his long-time tag team partner, who wore a similar expression. With another sigh, Jeff opened the door, waiting until the other wrestlers stepped out of the way before joining them.

"Yeah, fine," he answered casually, leaning in and popping the trunk before shutting the door. "Just fine."

Paul and Shawn exchanged disbelieving looks as Jeff walked past them to the now open trunk to grab his bags. "Are you sure, Man?" Shawn pressed as they followed him. "You look really shaken up about something."

"Do I?" Jeff said innocently as he shut the trunk again after taking his bags out. "I honestly have no idea what you're talking about." Then, he winced when his shoulder throbbed when he shifted his bags to his other arm.

"How's your shoulder?" Paul wondered, noticing the action.

Jeff gave him a slight smirk. If that was the least of his worries, he would have been a happy guy. "That's no big deal," he told him truthfully. "Matt's got some pain meds, so I'll be set for the match tonight."

"I still say there's something else wrong," Shawn muttered. "We're your friends, Hardy, you know you can tell us."

That was true- Jeff knew that he could trust both Paul and Shawn. That wasn't the problem. The problem about telling them about this psychotic bitch was that they really wouldn't fully see why the encounter had unnerved him so much. They wouldn't fully understand. The only one who would understand best that he was willing to tell was Matt.

"Hey, you're back!"

Speaking of which…

Jeff put a smile on his face as he turned and watched Matt come over to them from the hotel. "Hey, Man," he said when his brother put his arm carefully around his shoulders. "Sorry about leaving like that."

"That's all right. That girl's home and you're here now, and that's what counts," Matt replied with a smile of his own. "We're in room 305, so if you want to head up, Beth wants to see you."

"Yeah, I want to see her too," Jeff muttered with a nod. Then, he turned back to Paul and Shawn. "It was nice seeing you guys. I'll catch up with you later, all right?" Both men were on the RAW roster with Matt, who had taken the night off due to a fake injury in the script, and they were still at the hotel since they hadn't left after the previous night's show yet. He knew he would run into them again during his stay.

"All right. See you around, Kid." Paul nodded to the younger Hardy as he started to bring his bags to the hotel. Matt made to follow him, but was stopped by Shawn placing a hand on his shoulder to hold him back.

"Keep an eye on your brother," the older wrestler cautioned quietly as Matt looked back at him curiously. "Something seems off about him."

"Off? How so?" Matt wondered. In the short time he just spent with Jeff, he hadn't noticed anything that could really be described as "off."

"He just doesn't seem like himself," Paul supplied. "It's like he's really shaken up about something, but he wouldn't tell us what. Like when we found him, he was sitting in the car with his head on the steering wheel, and he jumped a mile when we knocked on the window to see if he was okay."

"Just watch out for the kid," Shawn added.

Matt's eyes narrowed with concern as he nodded. They were right- that kind of behavior seemed a bit odd for his brother, but he also knew that he hadn't gotten much sleep lately. That could have been the reason behind it, so he wasn't too concerned. But he was definitely going to keep a closer eye on Jeff. "Yeah, okay," he said. "I'll try to see what's up."

Paul nodded to him, and Matt hurried over to where Jeff was waiting for him by the front door of the hotel lobby. "What was that about?" the younger Hardy asked as they walked through the decorated room together.

"Not much," Matt answered, hoping to keep his tone light so it wouldn't seem like a big deal as they began to head up the stairs to the third floor. "They were just a bit concerned about you, that's all."

Jeff instantly stopped, and Matt walked up a couple more steps before turning back to look down at him when he realized that he was no longer walking with him. "Jeffro?"

"What did they say?" Jeff muttered, a suspicious tone to his voice as his eyes darkened.

Matt blinked, trying not to show his surprise. "Um, they were just wondering if you were okay," he told him. "They said you seemed a bit off, like you were shaken up about something…"

"I'm _fine_, Matt!" Jeff suddenly snapped, interrupting him. "_Nothing_ is wrong!" Then, without another word, Jeff stormed past his brother and hurried out of sight up the stairs.

Matt was stunned. Jeff never had that ferocity toward him, _never_. It was very unnerving. If he hadn't noticed the change in his brother like Paul and Shawn had before, he definitely saw it now.

Something was eating away at Jeff. He just wasn't sure what.

**Author's Note**: So, there's that one! This is where things start to get interesting. I hope you liked it! Your reviews are much appreciated. Thank you!


	5. Missing Person

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing associated with the WWE.

**Author's Note**: Hey! I'm glad you guys liked the last chapter! And didn't really like Brittany lol. She's just a bit creepy. But will we see her again? I'm not sure, you guys will have to see! Welcome back to some of you, and welcome aboard to others! Thank you so, so much to **Expect-the-Unexpected75**, **traceyh79 **(they never do the sensible thing, do they? Lol. And sorry about the language, but it is realistic. I'm not a big swearer, but just trying to keep it real! And nope, can't kill them just yet lol), **ponygirl-loves-mcqueen**, **xOallisonqtOx**, **asesina**, **-.I .Dream .of .Hardyz-**, and **BubblyShell22** for your awesome reviews! They're very encouraging. You guys rock! I swear, people who love one or both of the Hardy brothers are the nicest people ever! Lol. Oh, and just a hint: pay attention to the chapter titles. They often give you a clue about what's to come next in the story…

Chapter 5- Missing Person

**Artist**: _Michael W. Smith_

Jeff was standing in a small apartment, surrounded by seemingly endless pictures of him. Everywhere he looked, they were there, staring back at him. He couldn't get away from them. Jeff frantically ran to the window, trying his best to ignore the cardboard cutout of himself as he pushed up on it with as much force as he could muster. He was dismayed when it wouldn't budge.

Then, he heard a familiar, high-pitched giggle from behind him, and Jeff quickly turned around and saw that Brittany was standing in the doorway- his only way out. "Bye, Jeffro," she muttered, a disappointed look on her face. "If you can't be mine, you can't be anyone's."

"Wait! Brittany, wait!" Jeff crossed the small room quickly, but he was too late. The girl closed the door in his face, and no matter how much he tried the handle or pounded on it, it wouldn't open. He was trapped inside.

This couldn't be happening… There had to be another way out…

Suddenly, Jeff stiffened when a familiar, sickening smell reached him and an intense wave of heat hit his back. He slowly looked over his shoulder, seeing with dread that crackling flames were destroying everything in their path as they slowly made their way towards him. Jeff watched nervously as the fire consumed all of his pictures as it spread, and he knew that all he could do now was wait until they swallowed him as well.

* * *

"Jeffro, wake up, hon. We have to leave for the show soon."

At the sound of the gentle voice, Jeff slowly opened his eyes, seeing that he was lying in one of the beds in their hotel room. No obsessed girl… no millions of pictures of him… no fire… He was safe.

"Are you all right?" Beth asked, and it was then he noticed that she was sitting next to him on the bed. That was the best part of all.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he answered as he sat up with a sigh before he rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. He had intended to catch a quick nap before the show that evening, but he hadn't anticipated having another nightmare. "What time is it?"

"If it helps any, we're supposed to leave in a little less than a half hour to get to the arena so you can go through your scripts for the show tonight," Beth told him with a sigh of her own, placing her hand on his knee. "But are you sure you're okay? You were saying something about Brittany. Who's Brittany?"

Flashes from earlier that day quickly went through Jeff's mind. How could he explain the psycho girl's obsession with him and her obvious hatred of Beth? It would be something to talk with her about for sure, but it could wait until after the show if they weren't too tired. "Nothing," he reassured her for the moment as he took her hand in his. "It was just a dream."

Beth gave him a small smile as she tightened her hold around his head. Jeff returned it, but before he could say anything, Beth's eyes narrowed as she looked around the room as if she was looking for something. "Dang. I left that toy dinosaur that girl gave me on the plane in the car," she muttered as she quickly got to her feet and grabbed the rental car keys. "I'm going to go run out and get it."

"Do you want to wait until we leave?" Jeff wondered as he watched her head for the door that separated the bedroom from the living room.

"No, I'll go now," Beth replied as she stopped and looked back at him. "We'll be rushed then. Don't worry, it won't take long. I'll be right back."

"Okay." Jeff watched as Beth went through the door and let out the breath he was holding as soon as she was gone. He closed his eyes and put his head into his hands. That dream had been terrible. He was just relieved that he hadn't worried Beth with it, at least not yet.

After a few more minutes of waiting, Jeff got off the bed and threw on a t-shirt before he packed up his bag with everything he needed for the show that night- his black tank top, black pants, yellow belt, green gloves, shoes, face paint, everything. He zipped it up and put it over his uninjured shoulder as he entered the living area of the hotel room, seeing that his brother was stretched out on the couch watching something on the television intently. He glanced up briefly to acknowledge the younger Hardy's presence before turning his attention back to the television. They hadn't spoken much after Jeff's earlier outburst on the stairs.

"Take a look at this," Matt muttered, turning the volume up a little while Jeff sat down on the arm of the couch to see what he was watching as he set his bag down. It was breaking news judging by what was on the screen, and there was a bold headline that said, _"Escaped!"_

"What escaped?" Jeff wondered quietly, still not able to tell what exactly was happening by the footage of a bunch of scurrying policemen and the one-word title.

Matt muted the television before looking up at his brother. "A serial killer that was sentenced to life in prison escaped earlier this afternoon," he explained. "They said he stole a black car, but he hasn't been spotted since. Oh, there's his picture again."

Jeff felt his breath catch in his chest, his eyes widening with fear as a cold chill ran through him. Above the police hotline number was a face he recognized with dark, deranged eyes that seemed to stare directly at him. He had seen that face before. It had been in one of his recent nightmares where he was at the grocery store, the same man that's piercing gaze had stabbed right through him from beneath his black bangs as he approached his car. There was no way this could be the same person…

"Jeffro?" Matt asked, sitting up a little more. He was concerned when he didn't get a response.

He didn't even hear his brother- Jeff's eyes were only glued to the face on the screen that seemed to be looking back. Finally, he was able to close his eyes when the memory of the mild collision in the parking lot with the black car earlier entered his mind. Why was this face haunting him?

Then, Jeff gasped and jumped when Matt's hand landed gently on his arm, and he looked at the television to see that the picture had once again been replaced with more police footage. He sighed in an attempt to settle his racing heart. He had to calm down before the show…

"What's got you so worked up, Man?" Matt asked with obvious worry. "You know you can talk to me."

Jeff wanted to tell his brother everything, he just wasn't sure how to begin. But before he could reply, there was a loud knock at the door, which made him jump again. After exchanging a wondering look with Matt, the younger Hardy slowly got to his feet and headed for the door.

"Maybe that's him now," Matt attempted a joke, trying to keep the atmosphere light.

But Jeff ignored the crack, and he took a deep breath as he pulled the door open. He wasn't sure who he had been expecting to see, but he knew it hadn't been an anxious looking Triple H.

"Jeff, you have to come immediately," Paul said quickly, a worried look on his face. "Something's happened to Beth!"

The last four words of his statement nearly made Jeff's heart stop. "What happened?" he asked frantically, feeling very nervous. His first thought was that it had something to do with Brittany, but he quickly dismissed it. He was just being paranoid. Besides, she didn't have a working car, so she had no way of getting back to the hotel.

Paul shook his head, his gaze saddening when he could see Jeff's obvious worry for the one woman that meant everything to him. "I don't know…" he began hesitantly.

"What do you mean you _don't know_?" Jeff interrupted, that uncharacteristic intensity once again slipping into his tone as Matt joined them at the door. "Damn it, Paul, where is she?!" He didn't even notice when his brother put his hand on his shoulder in an almost restraining way. All he cared about at that moment was Beth.

"She's downstairs in the lobby," Paul told him quietly. "Randy's with her now. He's the one who found her."

_Found_ her? That didn't sound like a good thing… Without another word, Jeff broke out of Matt's hold and pushed past Paul before he ran down the stairs, only faintly realizing that his brother wasn't following him. He was relieved by the fact that Matt recognized this as a time to let him see her on his own.

When he reached the lobby, Jeff saw that Beth was sitting in a chair near the door, a few tears running silently down her pale cheeks. Randy Orton, another of his friends on the RAW roster who was presently playing a major heel, sat in the chair next to her with his heavily-tattooed arm wrapped around her in a protective manner, muttering something to her that he couldn't hear but was probably meant to calm her down.

"Beth!"

At the sound of her name, both Beth and Randy looked up, and she immediately got to her feet and ran into Jeff's waiting arms. "Shh…" Jeff tried to comfort her as he held her close to him tightly, kissing the top of her head as she took a shuddering breath. "Shh, Beth, it's all right now…" He noticed that people were staring at them, but he didn't care. His only concern was the trembling woman who clung to him.

"Jeffro…"

"Shh, it's all right." Jeff kissed her again, hoping to calm her down enough so she could tell him what happened. He wasn't sure if he had been more afraid before he saw her or now when he actually did see her. She was terrified.

"I'm glad you're here now, Jeff," Randy said as he approached the couple, his blue eyes flickering with worry when they landed on the still shaken Beth. "She needed you."

Jeff sighed as he looked over at the other wrestler. "Thank you for staying with her, Randy," he muttered. "Do you have any idea what happened?"

Randy nodded, his gaze moving around the crowded lobby. "Let's talk were we can't be overheard," he suggested, placing his hand on Jeff's arm as he gestured to the door. "We don't want to start something."

Before he could ask what he meant, Randy began walking toward the door of the lobby, and Jeff led Beth along as he followed him out. He found him waiting at the foot of the staircase, and Jeff sat Beth down on one of the steps and took his place beside her. "Okay, Randy, what happened?" he wondered as he wrapped her in his arms again.

"I'm going by what Beth told me," Randy explained as he sat down on the same stair as them, seeing that she was still not in the condition to explain again. "She was walking down the second floor stairs so she could go to the car to get some dinosaur toy or something. She was only a couple of stairs down when she said she was pushed. I found her lying at the bottom when I was making my way back up to my room."

Anger flared up inside Jeff at his friend's statement, and he instantly understood what Randy had meant when he said he didn't want to start anything. There was no need to have everyone pointing fingers at each other for this. But he still couldn't believe that someone had intentionally pushed Beth down the stairs. She could have been seriously hurt.

Then, Jeff looked over Beth. He saw the bruise forming on her left arm from the impact, and then, he saw her face clearly for the first time. There was another smaller bruise on her cheek right beneath her right eye and a thin cut on her bottom lip. His stomach clenched tightly with fury. He knew that he was going to find whoever did this to her, and once he did, they would have to answer to him.

"I'm really sorry about this, Jeff," Randy muttered sadly. "This shouldn't have happened."

"I know, but it wasn't your fault," Jeff replied with a slight smile as Beth wiped her tears away, tightening his arms around her. "I'm just glad you were able to help her. I thank you for that. But I'm going to find who did this, Randy."

Randy's eyes flickered nervously at the threat in his tone. "Jeff…"

However, Jeff didn't hear his warning tone. A thought that he had dismissed before entered his mind again, and he had to make sure that it was one that truly wasn't worth considering. "Beth, this might sound strange, but before or after you were pushed, did you hear this high-pitched giggle? Annoying?"

Beth narrowed her eyes thoughtfully as she tried to remember the event while Randy gave him a strange look. But Jeff ignored him, his eyes only on Beth intently. He desperately hoped and prayed that he was wrong…

However, Beth slowly nodded. "Now that you mention it, yes I did," she answered as she looked up at him, and Jeff's stomach dropped. "It was after I was pushed but before Randy found me. That laugh almost sounded childlike, but those hands definitely weren't the ones of a kid. Why do you ask?"

Jeff shook his head, wondering how she had gotten back to the hotel, but Randy wasn't going to let him get away with that response. "What's going on, Hardy?" he muttered.

Before Jeff could reply, Beth suddenly turned his face down toward her. "Jeffro, if you don't leave now, you and Matt are going to be late to the arena," she told him.

Right then, that was the last thing Jeff cared about. But there was another part of her statement that had caught his attention. "Aren't you going to the show with us?" he wondered.

Beth shook her head as she gave him a small but weak smile. "No, I don't think so," she said quietly. "I have a bad headache after that fall. I think I'm going to just spend the evening in the room and rest. That would be best."

"All right." Jeff gently kissed her forehead before resting his own against it, and he stayed there for a long moment as he ran his fingers through her hair. Though he was calmer now, he knew that he was going to wring Brittany's neck when he hunted her down. He could handle the obsession- hurting Beth had gone too far.

Then, he slowly stood and helped Beth to her feet, holding her hand tightly as they began to walk up the stairs together with Randy close behind them. When they reached their room, Jeff saw that Paul had left but Matt was waiting anxiously by the door with both of their packed bags.

"Are you okay, Britt?" the older Hardy asked, looking at the bruise on her cheek nervously before pulling her into his arms.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Beth answered with a smile as she walked past him into the room. "I'm going to stay here tonight, though. My head is pounding. But you and Jeffro should leave. I would hate it if you guys were late because of me."

"Ah, don't worry about us, Britt," Matt told her as he picked up a bottle off the small table in front of the television. "We'll get there. We're more concerned about you. Here, take a couple of these. They should help."

"Thank you." Beth smiled as she took the Ibuprofen Matt offered her, anxious to feel their relief.

When Matt left to bring the bags down to the car, Randy going with him to explain what happened, Jeff slowly entered the room and sat down on the couch next to Beth. "Are you sure you're all right?" he pressed quietly, taking her hand.

"Yes, Jeffro, I'm fine," Beth answered as she quickly kissed him. "And yes, I'll be fine here on my own, don't worry. I'm a big girl."

Jeff sighed heavily. "How can I not?" he whispered, delicately running his thumb over the bruise on her cheek. Beth closed her eyes at his tender touch, but before she could say anything, they both looked down at his pocket when they heard his phone go off.

"That's Matt. I've gotta' go," Jeff muttered when he recognized the ringtone, reluctantly releasing Beth's hand. "We'll be back in a couple hours. Maybe the three of us could go out for ice cream or something."

Beth smiled. "Sounds good," she said. "Break a leg tonight, hon. Not literally, of course. You know what I mean."

Jeff returned the smile. "Of course I do." Then, he leaned forward and gently kissed her. "I love you," he murmured, his lips still lingering only inches from hers.

After another quick but much more passionate kiss, Beth ran her fingers lovingly over his cheek. "I love you too, Jeffro."

* * *

After taking some Ibuprofen for his shoulder, Jeff was sitting in the passenger seat of the rental car while Matt drove to the arena. He hated leaving Beth alone at the hotel, especially after what had happened with the incident on the stairs, but he felt slightly better knowing that Randy Orton was only a few doors away from where she was and Paul and Shawn were also somewhere nearby. At least other people weren't too far away. There were a few times where Matt looked like he was going to say something to his brother, but since Jeff was only staring at the window, he thought better of it and remained silent.

The brothers arrived at the arena for the review of that night's show just in time. Matt and Jeff went their separate ways to change, and so the younger Hardy could do his face paint, and they soon met up with Jeff's opponent to go over the match.

"So, before you even come out, Matt will show up and call you out, saying you're a coward and you don't stand a chance against him, things like that," their friend Adam Copeland, known as Edge to the wrestling world, said. "Then, you'll come out, basically refuse to fight him, and he'll slap you around a bit before he leaves us to fight." Even though he wasn't on Smackdown, it wasn't uncommon for Matt to appear at Jeff's matches anymore because of the feud.

"Yep, sounds like Vince," Jeff muttered, glancing at Matt. It was hard enough to take a hit by his older brother, but he couldn't imagine what it felt like for Matt to deliver those hits as though he hated him.

"Definitely," Adam agreed with a sigh. "Now as far as our fight goes, I know you're going to win, but do we have anything else really planned?"

Jeff shrugged. "As far as I know, you pretty much beat the shit out of me for the whole match since I appear to be distracted by Matt's appearance," he replied. "I keep kicking out when you try to pin me, though, so you get aggravated. Then, at the end, I catch you off guard with a few kicks, followed by a Twist of Fate, and ending with a Swanton for the three count."

Adam nodded. "We'll come up with something exciting, I'm sure," he said with a smile.

"Yes, we will," Jeff told him with a smile of his own.

Waiting until the end of Smackdown since he was the main event that night was pure Hell for Jeff. His anxious mind was on Beth all alone in their hotel room, wondering if she was all right or if something else had happened. That was very unlikely, he tried to reason with himself. She was fine. He spent most of the night on his own, but distraction came in the form of Matt, Adam, Chris Jericho, and Mark Calaway, better known as The Undertaker, talking to him about ideas for the annual prank to be pulled on WWE chairman, Vince McMahon. Many of the ideas they came up with, including one that involved ice cream and live snakes, made Jeff smile and forget about his worries, at least for a little while.

Then, it was finally time for his match. Edge went out first, and Jeff saw by watching the small television in the locker room as he waited for his cue that he was met with a lot of booing. Then, the crowd began chanting "Hardy," but the wrong Hardy met their call as "Live for the Moment" was blared and Matt walked out instead, wearing the mean and angry look his character had come to possess lately. He was greeted with even more boos than Edge.

Jeff began to hop from foot to foot in anticipation as he prepared himself to have the inevitable standoff with his brother as Matt trash-talked him, but then, something happened that he didn't expect. His cell phone began to ring from his bag, and recognizing the ringtone immediately, he knew it was Beth. Wondering why she was calling him now when she knew he was in a show but also knowing that it must have been for a really good reason or an emergency, Jeff hurried over to his bag and answered it since he had a couple minutes left before he had to go on. "Hello?"

Chris looked over at him curiously while Mark sent a glance in his direction.

"_Jeffro?_"

Her tone sent a chill through Jeff. Beth's voice was quiet, almost a whisper, but fearful. "Beth, what is it?" he asked quickly. "What's wrong?" This time, Chris set down the support tape he had been wrapping around his wrists and got to his feet, walking over to stand next to Jeff to see what was happening.

Beth took a shuddering breath- it sounded like she had been crying. "_S-someone's trying to break into the hotel room,_" she answered shakily with a sniff.

Jeff's heart nearly stopped as his eyes widened with fear. He _knew_ he shouldn't have left her alone. But now, there was nothing he could do… "Where are you?"

"You're on, Hardy," the prompter suddenly said, but Jeff ignored him. Jericho turned to look at the man, signaling for him to stall for as long as long as possible since he could tell that there was something seriously wrong. He knew they couldn't stall too long, however, since the cheers of "Hardy" were deafening.

"_I… I'm hiding in the bedroom closet,_" Beth told him, tears evident in her voice. "_Jeffro, I'm so scared. I don't know what to do…_"

"Hardy!" the prompter snapped, getting irritated now. "Get the hell out there!" Chris gave him a dark glare, and even Mark came to stand next to an obviously panicked Jeff.

Jeff's heart throbbed painfully at the terror he could hear Beth was in and at his own helplessness. "I know, but just try to calm down," he told her, trying to keep his voice steady. "Is there anything that you could use as a weapon of some sort? Something heavy?" Chris and Mark exchanged worried looks.

"_I have something in my bag… on the bed…_" Beth muttered. "_I can try to get it…_"

"Good. Do that, but only if it's safe." Jeff's heart was racing in his chest, his nerves on high alert. He had never been more frightened in his life. He prayed with every fiber of his being that she would be safe.

"_Okay… I'm going now…_"

"Hardy, I'm not going to tell you again," the prompter said calmly, but there was clear anger in his voice. "Get your ass out there, or I will call in Mr. McMahon!"

"Shut the hell up!" Jericho suddenly snapped, turning to face him angrily. Jeff was one of his best friends on the Smackdown roster, and obviously, something was very wrong. "Can't you tell that this is an emergency? Send someone else out there for now!"

"Would you want to so willingly volunteer to go out there to distract them then, Jericho?" the man asked heatedly.

"Yeah, if that's what it takes." Chris then turned back to his clearly distressed friend and placed his hand on his tensed shoulder. "I'll be back soon with your brother, okay, Man?"

Jeff nodded as Chris hurriedly left the locker room, and he was surprised when his hand was replaced by another, black-gloved one. He looked up, finding himself looking into the concerned face of The Undertaker.

"Beth, what's going on?" Jeff asked anxiously after a long time of silence.

"_I'm trying to get something out of my bag,_" Beth whispered. "_So far so good…_"

Suddenly, Jeff jumped slightly when he heard a loud crash on the other end followed by Beth's scream. "Beth!" he shouted, hardly feeling Mark's hand tighten on his shoulder. "_Beth!_"

But she didn't answer. Instead, he heard another scream and the sound of a scuffle. Beth cried out his name, and then, there was nothing. The line had gone dead.

**Author's Note**: Yeah, I know I'm evil. I actually have a funny story about this story. My mom, unlike me, hated Randy Orton for the longest time, but after reading this chapter, she started to like him. And now, she's a fan, lol. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, even after that evil ending. Your reviews are much appreciated. Thank you!


	6. I'd Come for You

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing associated with the WWE.

**Author's Note**: Hey, everyone! Wow, thanks for all of your reviews for that last (not to mention evil) chapter! Poor Jeff, huh? But who loved Smackdown last night? Seeing Matt and Jeff fighting together was great! I absolutely loved it! That completely inspired me to update today when I wasn't quite sure I was going to be able to. Of course, thank you so much to **BubblyShell22**, **Graelam**, **Expect-the-Unexpected75**, **xOallisonqtOx**, **-.I .Dream .of .Hardyz.-**, **Caycee **(for an earlier chapter), and **asesina** for your amazing reviews! They're always so encouraging. And just a note about the song used for this chapter. If you haven't heard it, I highly, highly recommend you find it on youtube or something. It's an amazing song that fights Jeff and Beth perfectly! So, that's my little note, and I hope you enjoy this chapter!

Chapter 6- I'd Come for You

**Artist**: _Nickelback_

Matt stood in the ring beside Edge, glaring at the entrance ramp as he waited for Jeff to come out. Shouldn't he have been out by now? He should have been hearing Endeverafter's "No More Words" blaring, he should have been hearing the crowd cheering around him, he should have been seeing his little brother dancing as he came out from the locker room… But there was nothing. He heard Adam shuffle nervously beside him, so he knew that it wasn't just him. Something was wrong.

Sot it was a true look of surprise on his face when the lights finally dimmed and "Break Down the Walls" was heard instead as Chris Jericho walked out with a microphone in his hand. He was wearing the same arrogant look he always did, but Matt noticed when he got to the ring and climbed in that there was something different about him. He was worried.

This was going to be difficult, Matt knew, since this conversation wasn't scripted. They would have to make it up as they went along, and hopefully, he would hear something other than what the audience around him heard. He wanted to know what the hell was happening.

"You're out here, running your mouth about a man who's not even worth your time when it's not even your show," Chris said as condescendingly as usual once the music stopped and the crowd's boos softened a little. "Pathetic…"

_Translation: "I'm basically out here to be a distraction for your brother."_

Matt laughed a little. "I didn't call you out here to lecture me, Jericho, I want my failure of a little brother," he replied coolly. "Where is he?"

_Translation: "What the fuck is going on and where the hell is Jeff? Is he okay?"_

Chris smirked, but his eyes told him that he seemed to understand their silent conversation. "Your little brother, as you call him, has realized that he doesn't stand a chance against you, so he's chickening out," he told him, only to be met with more boos from the crowd. "He won't be coming, but he's not even worth your time, as I said."

_Translation: "Something's very wrong, and it has Jeff freaked. Play along, and we'll leave as soon as possible."_

Some scattered chants of "Hardy" began in the crowd as Matt cleared his throat. "Well, I've always known that," he muttered arrogantly. Then, he gave the other man a dark look. "But that doesn't explain why you're out here, Jericho. Since when have you been Jeff's spokesman?"

_Translation: "I knew something was up. Tell me what it is."_

Jericho smirked again as the crowd's cheers of "Hardy" began to escalate. "I am the face of this show and even all of WWE," he snapped. "I thought you should be met with someone who is actually worth your time if you want to act like you own this brand."

_Translation: "Let's throw a few punches so I can tell you a little bit of what's happening."_

Matt watched as Jericho set his microphone down, and when he straightened back up, he threw his own microphone aside and punched him in the face. He stumbled back a little, and he couldn't even recover before Matt was on him with a sleeper hold.

"All right, Chris, what's going on?" he whispered as he acted like he was trying to strangle the life out of him.

Chris took a deep breath as he acted like he was quickly losing oxygen. "Jeff got a phone call right before he was about to go out," he explained just as quietly as he pretended to try to Matt's arm from around his neck. "I think it was from Beth. Something's wrong."

Matt felt a wave of anxiety crash down on him. Something was wrong with Beth? "Do you know what?"

"No," Chris muttered. "But we need to get back to the locker room. Draw Adam into the fight somehow. I'm going to escape from your hold… now."

Jericho forced Matt off him by elbowing him in the chest, leaning on the ropes for support as he pretended to try to catch his breath. The older Hardy stumbled back and knocked his arm into an unsuspecting Adam's face. "Fight me," he whispered as he passed him.

Though he wasn't sure what was going on, Adam grabbed Matt's arm and threw him back toward Jericho, sending them both over the top rope to the mat below. Then, Edge jumped over it, landing on top of them. "What's happening?" he wondered quietly before rolling off them onto the floor.

"Get to the locker room _now_," Chris told him, pretending to be recovering from the impact of the jump. "Something's wrong with Jeff."

Worry flickered in Adam's blue eyes as he quickly stumbled to his feet with Matt beside him. They began to hit and shove each other as they made their way to the ramp, fueled by the crowd's cheering around them, and then Jericho came up to them and shoved them harder in the right direction. Matt fell to the ground while Chris fought with Edge, and it only took a minute for the older Hardy to once again join in the fray. It was taking a bit longer than he liked, but Matt knew that he was at least making his way to his brother.

* * *

Everything was dead silent in the locker room.

Jeff sat on one of the benches with his head in his hands, his cell phone next to him. The Undertaker stood behind him, his hand almost protectively on his shoulder, and the rest of the ECW and Smackdown rosters who weren't out in the arena fighting were watching the younger Hardy with concern from a distance since Mark wouldn't let them get close. He knew that Jeff now needed his space.

Beth was gone- that was the reality. Jeff was too stunned to even shed a tear. He still couldn't believe what he had overheard. Someone had broken into their hotel room and took her. He had no idea what to think, what to say, what to do. It was too much to handle. It was mind numbing. Beth was gone, in some sort of danger, and there was nothing he could do. He felt like screaming. He felt like sobbing. He felt like punching something. But he knew none of these things would help Beth, so he was forced to remain silent, motionless, oblivious to the rest of the world. He didn't know what to do…

Then, there was some commotion, and Jeff watched in a daze as Matt broke through the rest of the crowd with Adam and Chris close behind him. "Jeff!" the older Hardy said anxiously, kneeling down in front of him while Mark took his hand off his shoulder and stepped away, still ensuring that the brothers weren't disturbed. "Come on, little bro, tell me what happened."

Jeff merely stared at Matt, a look of pain, fear, sadness, rage, confusion, helplessness all crossing his face at the same time. Matt had never seen him like this before, and it scared him badly. He appeared to be in shock. "Come on, Jeffro, what's wrong?"

"Beth."

The one-word answer came out in a whisper, but it pierced Matt's heart like a knife. "What about Beth?" he asked, placing his hands on his shoulders.

Jeff shook his head, a thin line of tears forming in his brilliant green eyes. "She's gone, Matt."

"_Gone_?" Matt was horrified. "What do you mean _gone_?"

But before Jeff got the chance to say anything more, an angry, booming voice resounded around the locker room and startled everyone present. "You had better have a _damn_ good reason for not showing up in that ring tonight, Hardy, or I swear, your contract will be in pieces on my desk!"

Matt tightened his hold on his brother's shoulders as the crowd parted as easily as the Red Sea for Vince McMahon to walk through, glaring daggers at the younger Hardy. But before he could continue his threats, Mark stepped in front of him in a restraining way, and even Vince seemed slightly unnerved by the intimidating Undertaker.

"I'll be right back, Jeffro," Matt muttered gently, hoping to be encouraging before he got to his feet and walked over to the fuming chairman. "I'm sorry about my brother, Vince, but it's not his fault. I think he's in shock."

Vince moved his gaze from the dark glare of The Undertaker to the older Hardy. "Drugs?" he wondered almost accusingly.

"Only a couple Ibuprofen, which is for his injured shoulder," Matt clarified in his brother's defense. "But it seems like we have an emergency involving someone close to us that we need to take care of."

"What kind of emergency?" Vince asked.

Matt sighed. "I'm not exactly sure," he answered quietly, worry appearing on his own face. "I wasn't able to get a clear answer out of him."

"Well, you had better find out, Hardy!" Vince barked, making Matt cringe. "I can't have one of my top stars in this condition!" Money- it seemed like it was the only thing Vince ever cared about.

"Yes, Sir." With another sigh, Matt turned back to look at his brother so he could continue talking to him, but his heart skipped a beat when he saw that Jeff was gone.

* * *

_"I finally know just what it means to let someone in_

_To see the side of me that no one does or ever will…"_

"_Jeff!_"

That was the last he had heard of her, and then, silence. She was gone, and there had been nothing he could have done to stop it. Was she even alive right now? He wasn't sure, but he had the feeling that he would have known if she was dead since she was his other half, so part of him would have died as well. He still had that hope that she was still alive- he would not give up on her. And since that was the case, he knew that he was willing to do anything he could just to bring her back safely.

_"And I'd fight for you_

_I'd lie, it's true_

_Give my life for you_

_You know I'll always come for you_

_No matter what gets in my way_

_As long as there's still life in me_

_No matter what, remember_

_You know I'll always come for you…"_

Jeff was sitting on a wooden bench outside of the arena to get away from Vince's yelling, staring blankly at the star-filled sky above him with a cigarette between his fingers. He had only taken one hit of it right after he lit it, but now, he had forgotten that it was even there. His mind was only on Beth as he attempted to think of a way to get to her. He didn't care what it took- he would do anything he had to do.

_"I'd search forever just to bring you home…"_

"I thought I'd find you out here, Jeffro."

Sighing, Jeff looked over his shoulder and watched as Matt slowly walked over to him, sitting beside him on the bench. "How angry is Vince with me?" he wondered quietly.

"He'll get over it," Matt said with a small smile. Then, he sighed with worry. "Chris and Mark told me about what they heard of your conversation with Beth. What happened? They're very concerned."

Jeff felt his heart throb painfully again as he tossed the cigarette to the ground since he had let it get too short. "When she called me, she told me that someone was trying to break into the hotel room," he explained quietly, not able to meet his brother's gaze when his arm wrapped securely around his shoulders. "I told her to get something to use as a weapon, and that was when the person got in. She screamed my name, and that was it. The line went dead. I don't know who took her, Matt, but I do know that I'm going to find out and get her back… no matter what."

Matt felt indescribable fury rise up within him once the younger Hardy was done telling him his account, watching as tears formed in his green eyes as he put his head in his hands. Someone had taken their little girl? If he ever got his hands on them… "Why Beth?" he muttered in disbelief as he shook his head. "She hasn't done anything…"

That was a really good question. Why _had_ Beth been chosen as the victim? She hadn't done anything that would make enemies. But then, Jeff realized, it wasn't because she had done something wrong. It was just because she was with him. His earlier conversation with the obsessed Brittany, along with the memory of the violent Beth display, suddenly entered his mind, her statement about his now missing girlfriend sticking out clearly.

"I know all about her. But don't worry, that can all easily change…"

But would she really go as far as kidnapping Beth? The more he thought about it, the more certain Jeff was that yes, Brittany was behind this. The pin-filled pictures of Beth she had on her wall proved she hated her. And she desperately wanted him, and if Beth were out of the way, it would be easier to get to him.

The only problem with his theory was he couldn't picture Brittany being able to kidnap Beth on her on. There must have been someone else working with her. His immediate thought was the serial killer that had escaped earlier that day since it seemed to fit in perfectly, but he wasn't sure. Although, his feelings had been right on lately, he just hadn't been listening to them. Maybe it was time to start.

Matt watched with confusion as Jeff suddenly pushed himself to his feet and began to pace a little, seeming to be itching to strangle someone. "What's up, Man?" he asked.

"I'm going to kill her, Matt," Jeff answered angrily in nearly a whisper. "I'm going to wring her neck…"

"What?" Matt got to his feet also, starting to feel nervous as he watched the younger Hardy. "Jeff, who are you talking about? Do you have an idea of who did this?"

"Yes."

His answer was so blunt that Matt hadn't been expecting it at all. But before he could press the conversation further, both brothers turned to look at the street when a dark car pulled up and someone climbed out.

"Jeff, I'm really sorry about what happened to Beth," Randy Orton said as he approached them. "I had no idea someone was there. I was on my way back up from signing a few autographs down in the lobby when it happened, and I got there too late. I really wish I had known, and I'll help out in any way I can. But we can't go back to the hotel now. The police have it all blocked off and are still questioning people. We'll have to find somewhere else to stay…"

When he saw the other wrestler, something completely snapped in the back of Jeff's mind. Randy had been there. He could have done something to stop this. He could have saved Beth… Without even thinking clearly, the younger Hardy rushed forward, watching with some sort of sick satisfaction as his fist collided with Randy's jaw and as he stumbled back.

"Jeff!" Matt shouted fearfully. But before he could pull his brother back, he looked over his shoulder when he heard hurried footsteps, and he watched as Adam and Mark joined him outside, both looking shocked by the violent outburst in front of them.

"You could have done something!" Jeff snapped, continuing the punches before Randy even had the chance to recover from the surprise of the initial one. What the hell was he doing? But by the time he realized that what he was doing wasn't right, Jeff found that he couldn't stop. All of his bottled up emotion was being released with ever relentless but undeserving strike that landed on his friend as tears rolled freely down his cheeks. "You could have saved her!"

Matt angrily began to stride forward, but before he could reach the fighting pair, Randy suddenly roared angrily and grabbed Jeff by the arms, forcefully slamming him into the trunk of the nearest tree and pinning him there, hoping the impact had knocked some sense into him. "What the hell is going on, Hardy?!" he demanded fiercely, his narrow, slit-like, blue eyes cutting right through Jeff. "I _know_ you know something about this whole situation that we don't, so why don't you tell us so we can fucking help you!"

Jeff glared back at him as he struggled in his grasp for a moment, but the anger immediately vanished from his face as he looked into Randy's eyes. Now, he knew why he was known as "the Viper." He was terrifying when he was angry. But, he knew his friend had a point. The more they knew, the better chance he had of saving Beth.

"That's enough!" Matt snapped, roughly pulling Randy away from Jeff and placing his hand on his brother's chest to hold him back while Adam placed his hands on Orton's shoulders to calm him down and Mark stood beside them. His intimidating presence was an assurance that no other fights would be started. "What we need to do now is come up with a plan of action. I know tension is running high, but fighting isn't going to help anything."

Plan his ass. Jeff knew that no matter what so-called plan they came up with, it wouldn't prepare them for whatever Brittany now had in store for them. He knew what she was like better than they did, and he knew how unstable this girl actually was. It would be better if he went after Beth alone, he realized, and that was exactly what he was going to do so no one else he cared about would be in danger.

Matt looked back at the younger Hardy when he pushed his hand away forcefully. "Jeff, what are you doing?" he asked, a warning in his tone.

"What do you think?" Jeff muttered as he walked past him.

Realizing what his brother was thinking of doing, Matt reached forward and grabbed Jeff's arms, attempting to hold them behind his back to stop him. "You can't do this, Jeff," he said sternly. "You can't go after Beth now on your own, not without a plan."

"Damn it, Matt! Let go of me!" Jeff snapped, able to get one arm free after elbowing the older Hardy in the jaw.

Though he hated to do it, Matt quickly moved his position to Jeff's neck and applied the sleeper hold to his brother. Jeff put his hands to his arm as he tried to force it off him since Matt had one of the most lethal sleeper holds in the business, but it wouldn't budge no matter how much he fought. "I'm sorry, Jeff," Matt muttered with a sigh, knowing that he wouldn't last much longer in the hold.

"Let go of me!" Jeff repeated heatedly as he struggled to get enough oxygen into his lungs as he thrashed about in his brother's hold without success.

"Will you listen to reason?" Matt asked, knowing that was the only way he was going to release him. "I know you want to save her, Jeff, but you won't do that if you jump into this unprepared!"

"Fuck you, Matt," Jeff gasped, his strength quickly waning. "You don't know… I have to… _Beth_…"

Matt looked down on Jeff sadly as his body began to slump weakly to the ground, and he immediately released his brother from the hold and knelt down beside him. Then, he pulled Jeff close to him in a tight embrace when he began to sob. Randy, Adam, and Mark stood nearby, watching warily as the older Hardy tried to comfort the younger. It was an unusual sight during a tragic situation.

"…Beth…" Jeff choked out between his tears, suddenly feeling relieved by the protectiveness of his brother's arms securely around him.

"I know," Matt said, placing his hand on top of Jeff's head. "I'm worried about her too, little bro."

Jeff let out a hollow laugh. "You weren't the one who had to hear her being taken."

Matt sighed. "True, but don't worry," he replied confidently. "We'll find her, and when we do, we'll make sure that whoever did this will pay. I promise."

After a few more minutes in Matt's embrace, Jeff calmed down, and he straightened out of his arms as he wiped his tears away. "Thanks, Man," he muttered with a slight smile. "I'm sorry…"

"Hey, it's all right," Matt told him as he returned the smile, placing his hand on his brother's shoulder. "You needed the release. Besides, I'll always be here for you, Man. That's what an older brother's for."

Jeff sighed, feeling slightly better by Matt's words. Then, he looked up at the three men still standing near them. "I'm really sorry about punching you like that, Randy," he said, his green eyes now filled with shame. "It was wrong and undeserved. I don't know what came over me…"

"You were angry," Rand replied, raising his hand and rubbing his jaw where Jeff had first punched him. "Just remember who your _true_ enemies are before you start throwing punches, okay?"

Though he wasn't sure why, Jeff found himself laughing a little since it appeared that Randy forgave him. "Sure, Man."

"All right, Jeff. Time to get down to business," Mark "The Undertaker" Calaway stated as he crossed his arms. "Tell us what the hell you know about this so we can start thinking of something to do about it."

Jeff looked up at him with a sigh. Where to even begin with this situation? But before he could start to explain to them about his earlier encounter with Brittany, he froze when he heard his cell phone begin to ring from his pocket, recognizing the ringtone immediately.

It was Beth.

**Author's Note**: Ah, Matt. The voice of reason. Lol. So, they know who did it, at least Jeff is almost sure he does, they just have to figure out what to do about it. It's just kinda funny since this is a wrestling story, yet 99.9 percent of it takes place outside of the ring. The 0.1 percent was the first section of this chapter, lol. I hope you liked this chapter! Your reviews are much appreciated. Thank you!


	7. Just Close Your Eyes

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing associated with the WWE.

**Author's Note**: Hey, I'm glad everyone liked the last chapter! Poor Jeff indeed! But, he's got some people behind him, which is good. Much thanks to **Expect-the-Unexpected75**, **xOallisonqtOx**, **ponygirl-loves-mcqueen**, **traceyh79** (not a problem! I prefer the real life element myself, which is why so much takes place outside the ring. Nope, not everyone is smart when stressed, lol. And look what happens! Haha. But I'm glad you still like it! I'm trying to keep it at a fast pace while adding in cute little brother moments like you mentioned! I'm a real sucker for that lol), **-.I .Dream .of .Hardyz.-**, **dumwolf16** and **BubblyShell22 **for your awesome, encouraging reviews! And yes, I'm disappointed that Jeff Hardy lost last night, but hey, we love him anyway. And, there's always another chance at a belt since it sounds like he's going to stick around for a little while at least, according to Matt. And I'm also intrigued by The Undertaker's random appearance where he attacked CM Punk. That should prove to be interesting to say the least. But anyway, that's enough of my rambling, and I hope you enjoy the next chapter! Yes, it's named after Christian's theme song.

Chapter 7- Just Close Your Eyes

**Artist**: _Waterproof Blonde_

Jeff immediately pulled out his cell phone and brought it to his ear. He couldn't believe that it was actually her calling. "Beth?" he said anxiously. He could feel all four pairs of eyes on him intently, but he ignored them.

But, he didn't hear his girlfriend's voice on the other end. Instead, he heard a familiar, annoying high-pitched giggle. "_Sorry, Jeffro. Not quite. But, she is here, though._"

"Let me talk to her," Jeff muttered. He wanted to make sure this psycho bitch wasn't lying and that Beth was actually okay.

"_Not so fast, honey,_" Brittany replied. _"We haven't gone over my conditions yet._"

Jeff laughed hollowly. It was strange talking to her like this since it sounded like she had no idea what she was doing. "Brittany, I never suspected that you were capable of kidnapping someone," he stated lightly. Besides, the more information he could get out of her, the better.

Matt placed his hand on Jeff's shoulder, mouthing the words "the kidnappers" to see if he was right. The younger Hardy nodded in confirmation, and Matt signaled for Randy, Adam, and Mark to come closer.

"_Well, they say love makes you do strange things,_" Brittany told him. Obsession would be a better word, but Jeff wasn't about to argue with her. "_But I'm not the one who actually took her, though it was my idea. Father did. I'm sure you saw him on television earlier this evening._"

Jeff's eyes widened with fear when he heard the last part of her response as he friends gathered closer to him. If the serial killer really was the one involved, things weren't looking good for Beth. He would only believe she was all right if he actually heard her voice. "Let me talk to Beth," he repeated firmly.

Brittany giggled again. "_I told you, not until we go over my conditions,_" she said. "_I only have one._"

"If it's money, I'll give you any value you want," Jeff tried bargaining. "I'll give you everything I have." He didn't care what he had to give her as long as Beth was in his arms again. Matt tightened his hand on his shoulder, but he hardly felt it.

"_No, I don't want money,_" Brittany told him. "_I have plenty of that. But there's one thing I do want._"

"What is it?" Jeff asked quietly, preparing himself for anything.

"_You._"

Jeff froze, his heart racing with fear. How could he not have realized that's what she wanted from the beginning? Of course that's what she would want. She had his face all over her wall. But could he knowingly do that to Beth to save her? Either way, he would lose her. "Brittany, I don't know if-!"

"_I'll give you a couple days to think about it,_" Brittany told him. "_I know it's hard. But just keep in mind the usual- no police or whatever. And also know that if I suspect you're involving the police in any way, there is a reason why Father's one of the most notorious serial killers to walk L.A.'s streets._" Jeff felt a chill descend upon his heart at this statement. "_Beth hurt my feelings, which is why she's in this situation right now._"

"What the fuck did she ever do to you?" Jeff snapped with more ferocity than he intended. "She doesn't even know who the fuck you are!"

"_Easy, Jeffro. I don't like yelling,_" Brittany warned. "_But she stole you from me, that's what. That's why she's here. Now, we can set things straight._"

This whole situation was fucked up. He didn't even know Brittany until earlier that afternoon. Jeff was about to call her something he would probably end up regretting later, but he bit his tongue to prevent it from slipping. He didn't want to anger her any further. "Can I please talk to her now?" he asked quietly.

"_Sure. Just remember what I said._"

There was silence on the other end for a moment, and then a new voice came on the line. "_Jeffro?_"

"Beth!" Jeff sighed with relief. Other than the fact that her voice sounded weak and as though she had been crying, she seemed at least decent for being in that situation. "Oh, my God, I'm so, so sorry. Are you all right?"

"_Fine, don't worry,_" Beth reassured him. "_Tied to a chair and gagged, but I'm breathing. But please don't do what she wants, Jeffro. I couldn't stand to see you with a bitch like her._"

Jeff felt a sudden pain in his heart at her words. He admired her courage and devotion to him, but he knew what would happen if he didn't comply with the psychopath's wishes since her serial killer father wouldn't be happy. "Beth, they'll kill you if I don't," he whispered. It was a thought he hadn't wanted to speak aloud, but it was a chilling reality.

"_I know._" Her answer was straightforward, but he could still hear the smile in her voice despite the situation. "_But believe me, it would be better than letting her get what she wants. I've always told you that you deserve better than someone like me, but she's not even in your league._"

"You know, I've always looked at it as though I didn't deserve someone like you," Jeff told her quietly with a slight smile, feeling tears beginning to prick his eyes.

Beth laughed a little, and he could hear her tears now too. "_That's… debatable,_" she muttered. "_But I trust you to do the right thing, Jeffro._"

Jeff sighed as a single tear rolled down his cheek. "Beth, I'm going to do everything I have to do to get you out of there alive," he told her. "I'm not going to let her hurt you."

"_Even knowingly cheat on me?_" Beth demanded fiercely.

Her harsher tone was like a slap to the face for Jeff. He knew he couldn't do that to her, but he also couldn't let her die. He didn't know what to do. "Beth, please…"

"_Please, just think about it carefully, Jeffro,_" Beth pleaded quietly, and he could hear her quietly crying now. "_I love you._"

"I love you too." Jeff didn't know what else to say. "I-!"

But then, he could hear some shuffling, and a voice he didn't want to hear came back on the line. "_All right, that's enough for now,_" Brittany said. "_I don't want her to sway your decision, do I?_"

"Bitch," Jeff whispered heatedly to himself.

"_What did you say, Jeffro?_" Brittany asked sweetly. How he hated when she called him that…

"Nothing," Jeff answered. "I didn't say anything."

"_Good._" Brittany suddenly sounded more authoritative again. "_Now, I'm going to give you time to make up your mind. I'll call you back in a couple days. If she cooperates until then, your precious Beth will not be touched. Bye, bye for now, love._"

"Brittany, wait!" Jeff shouted, but he was too late. She giggled once more, and the line went dead. "Fuck…" he hissed, fighting the urge to throw his phone into the street as he put it safely back in his pocket before he hit the ground in front of him in frustration. He was playing on incredibly shaky ground now, walking a very thin line. He didn't know what to do from here since both paths in front of him now led to losing Beth.

"Jeff, what did they say?" Adam asked anxiously. "Who has Beth?"

"Some girl named Brittany by the sound of it," Randy muttered while Mark watched the younger Hardy carefully. "Who is she and what does she want with her?"

Matt sighed with concern as he watched his younger brother's shoulders beginning to shake and when a quiet, broken sob escaped from him. Never before had he seen Jeff like this, and it made him very worried. Normally, he knew his brother almost as well as he knew himself, but now, things were completely different. He didn't know what was going to happen.

"What does she want, Jeffro?" Matt asked gently, placing his hand on his back. "You know we'll give you anything you need to help get our little girl back. It doesn't matter what it is."

After a moment, Jeff slowly looked up at his brother, his eyes red-rimmed and damp from crying though the tears had stopped. "It's not that, Matt," he whispered, and Matt's breath caught in his chest at the sound of his helplessness. "She wants something that I can't give."

* * *

Brittany smiled and hummed a little tune to herself as she ended the call on Beth's cell phone. It had been easy enough to find Jeff's cell number since he was the first person on her speed dial. Victory was sweet. The smile only broadened as she turned to face her captive.

"So, Beth," she said cheerfully as she walked over to the chair where she was tied up. "How does it feel to know that your precious little Jeffro will be mine in only a couple days?"

Surprisingly, Beth laughed. "In your dreams, sweetheart," she replied confidently. "Jeff and I have been together for the past ten years, which is probably before you even knew who he was. He's not going to give me up so easily for some trashy little bitch like you. You don't stand a chance."

Brittany's face contorted in fury as she raised her hand, and before Beth could mentally prepare herself, the younger girl slapped her forcefully. "Oh, believe me. We have ways to get him to change his mind," she hissed angrily as she turned to the window.

Tears immediately sprung to Beth's eyes from the sting of the strike on her cheek, and she followed Brittany's gaze nervously. The girl's father, who was a recently escaped serial killer named Eric How and was the man who took her, was leaning against the wall playing with a lighter. He grinned maliciously when he met Beth's gaze, raising the lighter slightly so the flames creepily lit up his stubbled face and made her shiver.

"We may call Jeff tomorrow to give him an update," Brittany stated as she turned her attention back to Beth. "But for now, we'll put this back in so you don't make too much of a racket."

Realizing what she had in mind, Beth struggled as much as she could when the other girl approached her, but it was a short-lived attempt when the gag was forced back in her mouth. It tasted terrible… She watched as Brittany walked away from her to join Eric and speak with him in quiet tones, a few tears falling from her eyes.

_Please, Jeffro, _she thought desperately. _Stay far, far away from here. And please, _please_ don't give yourself to this girl. Please…_

* * *

"So, let me get this straight," Matt muttered. "Some girl that's completely obsessed with you took Beth just so she could be out of the way so she could get together with you?" He and Jeff were sitting on the bed in the room of a much nearer hotel than they had previously been staying in, and Mark, Randy, and Adam were sitting in the living area of the hotel room with the older Hardy's laptop to see if they could find out any information on Brittany or her serial killer father that could help them.

"That's the basic idea, yeah," Jeff confirmed with a heavy sigh. "Though it was her father who actually took her, not Brittany."

"This is fucked up, Man," Matt said with frustration. "There has to be something else we can do. You can't just give yourself over to this bitch."

Jeff put his head in his hands. "I don't know what to do, Man," he admitted quietly. "If I don't agree, they'll kill Beth. But if I do agree, then I'll be stuck with Brittany. Either way, I lose Beth…"

"I know," Matt replied, trying to be sympathetic.

"No, Matt, you don't know," Jeff snapped with more intensity than he meant to as he glared at Matt. "You have no fucking clue what I'm going through right now! The only way you ever would is… is if you were forced into this decision if some psychotic bitch took Amy!"

It was a line he knew he shouldn't have crossed, but Jeff knew there was no other way to get him to understand. But, it still didn't hurt any less when Matt's hand moved quickly and slapped his face hard. Jeff scooted on the bed away from his brother, hand on his cheek, as he looked up at him with fear at the fury on his face.

Matt had been filled with a tremendous amount of rage at the mention of Amy, his relationship that had turned so ugly because of one of the men in the other room, that he hadn't been thinking clearly for a single, heated moment. But in that short time, the damage had been done. His gaze softened when he saw the almost childlike look of fear in Jeff's green eyes as he stared up at him, and Matt lowered his hand in disgust because of what he had done.

"Jeff, I'm so sorry," he muttered as he shook his head, his look turning to one of shame when he watched his younger brother flinch slightly. "I didn't mean it. It's just…"

"I know." Jeff slowly lowered his hand from his cheek as he sat up, still keeping a slight but safe distance from Matt. "I shouldn't have mentioned Amy. It was my fault."

"No, Jeff. It's mine. That was still no excuse for me to hit you," Matt told him with a sigh. "I know you're going through a very rough time right now, and I'm here to help you, not make it worse. For that, I'm sorry." Then, he slowly reached a hand toward his brother.

Jeff carefully watched his hand as it came closer to him, tensing up a little when it landed lightly on his shoulder. When he felt his body relax after a moment beneath his hand, Matt felt a stab of pain as he watched Jeff close his eyes. He felt terrible at the realization that Jeff had actually thought he was going to strike him again. Never again, he vowed, would he do that to his brother.

"I'm here for you, Jeffro," Matt whispered, hoping to reassure him. "And I always will be. You know that, don't you?"

After a moment, Jeff slowly nodded and opened his eyes as he looked back at Matt, giving him a slight smile. The older Hardy returned it, but then that was replaced with a look of deep concern when he could clearly see the exhaustion on Jeff's face. The stress of the situation was taking an unbelievable toll on his brother's body.

"Why don't you lie down and get some sleep, Jeffro?" Matt suggested as he lowered his hand from his shoulder. "You need it. And once your mind and body have a chance to recover somewhat, we can probably think of something to fix this mess much more easily."

But Jeff shook his head at Matt's proposal. "No, Man, I'm not going to be able to sleep," he told him quietly as he rubbed his eyes. "Too much on my mind…"

"Just lie down and relax at least," Matt persisted, determined not to give up when he could see that Jeff's body needed the rest. "Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere."

Jeff watched as Matt stood up and turned off the light in the room before taking a seat in the chair near the bed. Seeing no other option, Jeff sighed as he pulled back the covers on the bed, slipping beneath them and laying his head on the pillow. "There, happy?"

"Yes," Matt told him with a slight smile. "But I'm just curious, do you remember what I used to tell you after Mom died?"

Silence. For a second, Matt thought Jeff had already fallen asleep due to his exhaustion. But then, he heard his quiet voice. "Which thing?" he wondered.

His smile broadened a little. "The one I used to tell you at night when you couldn't sleep," he explained. "I told you that Mom was still with us, even though we couldn't see her. But if you closed your eyes, that was when you would be able to see her since she would be with you in your dreams."

Memories of his childhood came rushing back to Jeff at Matt's words, and he could clearly see his brother, much younger, sitting at his bedside when he was afraid to sleep saying those exact same words. It was comforting. And maybe, the same would happen with Beth. If he closed his eyes, perhaps he would see her- her beautiful, smiling face staying with him through the night. That thought was comforting to him too, and it was the last one on Jeff's mind as his eyes slowly closed, his exhaustion finally taking him.

Mat sighed as he watched Jeff sleep in the thin rays of moonlight sneaking in through the blinds over the window, the steady rise and fall of his chest calming to him. Though he was sleeping peacefully now, the older Hardy wasn't sure how long that was going to last. He knew that it was going to be a very long night.

**Author's Note**: All right, that's it for this one! But, hey, at least Beth isn't taking being kidnapped lightly and is still fighting back. And poor Jeff. He always seems to have a solution for everything, but I don't know how he's going to get out of this one. You'll have to keep reading! Your reviews are much appreciated. Thank you!


	8. Somebody to Love

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing associated with the WWE.

**Author's Note**: Hey! Yay, I'm glad you guys like this story so much! I'm having a great time writing it, and I'm glad that you're having as much fun reading it! Thank you so, so much to **- .I .Dream .of .Hardyz.-**, **Graelam**, **Expect-the-Unexpected75**, **dumwolf16**, and **xOallisonqtOx **for your amazing reviews! They do mean a lot. And a special shoutout to **the hardy boyz lover** for reading this story and texting me about how much she likes it, as well as for helping me out with a few future things. You rock, girl! And another note, I have put a picture of what I envision Brittany and Eric Howe look like on my profile. They're under the "Story Related Pictures" section near the top, and they're the last two on the list. If you want to, feel free to look. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter too!

Chapter 8- Somebody to Love

**Artist**: _Jefferson Airplane_

Matt sighed as he left the bedroom part of their rented room, shutting the door quietly behind him in hopes not to wake Jeff. He desperately needed the rest. Then, Matt sighed heavily as he put his hand to his head. He couldn't believe this was happening. Beth, his little girl and the love of his brother's life, was now in the hands of two dangerous psychopaths with seemingly no way out. If it were some sort of terrible nightmare, he would love to wake up now and have everything be all right. Maybe he, Jeff, and Beth could even go out for ice cream before their flight home or something.

But he knew it wasn't a dream. This was actually happening. Beth was really in danger, Jeff was an absolute wreck, and he was scared shitless. The last time he was this afraid, Matt realized, was when he discovered the younger Hardy's burning house a couple weeks before and thought that his brother and Beth were trapped inside, burning to death. That hadn't been the case, and fortunately, things had been moving in the right direction.

But _this_… This was different. Their last emergency situation had been fixable, but this… Matt wasn't sure how to fix this, if it could be fixed at all. He knew that Jeff's fear and helplessness would stay with him for the rest of his life. It was heartbreaking. And on top of everything, Matt felt guilty- guilty because he was the older brother. When the younger brother had a problem or was in some sort of trouble, it was his responsibility to help him, to get him out of that trouble, to solve that problem. But this time, Matt wasn't sure if he was going to be able to.

And that feeling was tearing him apart.

"How's the kid?"

The deep voice brought Matt out of his thoughts, and he slowly looked over at Mark, who was leaning against the wall across from him and looking at him curiously. "Jeff's finally sleeping," he told him with a sigh, sitting down in a chair. "He needs it after all the stress he's going through, but I'm not sure how long he'll stay asleep. He's so scared…"

The Undertaker simply nodded, not knowing what to say in response. He had never encountered anything like this before, and even he had no idea what they could do to save the girl yet. All he knew was that they _would_ find a way to save her.

"Have you guys found anything?" Matt asked, turning his attention to Randy and Adam, who sat on the couch with his laptop between them.

"You'd better believe we have," Adam answered with wide eyes, a very Edge-like look. "We've found the girl's whole family history, and let me just say, it's fucked up."

Well, he'd figured that much. "How so?" Matt wondered.

"You know those people that get everything handed to them on a silver platter? Well, that describes Miss Brittany Howe completely," Randy explained, glancing up from the laptop screen for a moment. "For her entire childhood, she got whatever she wanted when she wanted it. Her mother was an influential ambassador, so she had the money to get whatever her little girl wanted plus more. This continued for her whole life up until her mother strangely disappeared, leaving all of her money to her daughter."

"But that's only one side," Adam took over. "Her father was a completely different story, and much more messed up. During Brittany's childhood, Eric Howe was constantly in and out of prison for smaller crimes like identity theft, armed robbery, carjacking, and arson. His killing spree didn't actually start until Brittany was fifteen, which was when her mother strangely disappeared. Speculation was that her husband murdered her, but it was never confirmed. Anyway, though Brittany covered his ass after every murder, he never showed her any signs of love, so she grew up without that. He was finally caught a couple of years later when Brittany was seventeen and sentenced to life in prison. He was in there for five years before he escaped."

Matt stared at Adam and Randy with disbelief once they were done with their explanation. "So, basically we're dealing with someone who just wants someone to love her?" he asked quietly.

"Yeah, pretty much," Randy answered with a sigh. "But, she's also a girl who is used to getting whatever she wants when she wants it. Not a good combination. And since Jeff's with Beth, the only way to get what she wants is to get rid of what's in her way. And she's willing to do it."

"Well, now that we know the reason behind it, we may be able to figure out something to do with this unstable girl," Matt muttered. "But what I don't understand is why did she choose Jeff? Why does it have to be him?"

"I can answer that," Adam said as he took the laptop from Randy. "I found one of her blogs, appropriately labeled 'I am in love with Jeff Hardy,' little cute heart included. The basic gist is that considering girls look for a partner with similar characteristics to their father, she feels that Jeff is the only man in the world who would understand her. One of her cited examples is that he spent most of his life with the hard love of a father, much like herself. I know your dad's not a serial killer by any stretch of the imagination, but she believes she's on the same level with him in that respect. Other things she says are things like he's a rebel that marches to the beat of his own drum, he lets nothing stop him, and he dares to take risks. Basically, she feels that she would be a much better match for him than Beth ever would."

"She's gone way too far, though," Mark reminded them. "I can understand a girl's crush on someone famous, but she actually kidnapped someone. We have to keep that in mind."

"Yeah, we do," Matt agreed. "Though it will probably making finding a solution a bit easier now that we know Brittany's mind a bit more."

"True," Randy muttered. "But those things she put in that blog wouldn't necessarily make her a better match for Jeff."

Matt nodded. "I think it's what makes Beth different from him that makes them so perfect for each other," he said. "In fact, I can't imagine Jeff with another girl."

"This is a question that's been on my mind for a while, but why haven't Jeff and Beth gotten married?" Adam suddenly wondered. "I mean, they're like the perfect couple. You don't see that too often."

"Well, Jeff's not really into the whole ceremonial thing," Matt explained with a slight smile. "They're more than just boyfriend and girlfriend anyway, so we just kind of consider them to be married. But in some kind of warped way, I think their relationship would be too different if they were ever legally married, you know? They're perfect just the way they are."

Adam nodded thoughtfully while Randy glanced down at the silver ring on his left hand. He never wore it while he was in the ring, but it was never too far away and was on his finger when he wasn't wrestling. Matt realized that he must have been concerned about his own wife, along with his young daughter, since he should have been on his way home to them by now, but instead, he had agreed to stay and help them find Beth. At the same time, he was also probably relieved that he wasn't in Jeff's position.

Suddenly, Matt jumped when his cell phone rang. He quickly pulled it out of his pocket, hoping the loud sound hadn't woken his brother, and answered it. "Hello?"

"_Matt, what the fuck is going on out there?!_"

"What are you talking about, Shan?" Matt asked, rubbing his tired eyes. The ferocity in his friend's tone surprised him.

Shannon sighed heavily. "_Turn on the news,_" he answered grimly.

Matt looked around, trying to locate the remote. "Hey, Adam, could you turn on the news?" he wondered, seeing that the pesky device was on the couch by his blond-haired friend.

"Sure." Adam turned on the television, flipping through the stations until he found what he was asking for. After a moment of trying to register what they were seeing, all four men could only stare at the screen in shock.

A picture of Beth and Jeff, probably found on Google, was on the screen with a bold headline of "_Missing!_" beneath it. Wow, news traveled fast…

"Turn it up," Matt muttered, his eyes glued to the familiar smiling faces.

Adam did so, and all four, plus Shannon, were silent as they listened to the news report.

_"Elizabeth A. Britt, a Cameron, North Carolina native and longtime girlfriend of WWE superstar Jeff Hardy, was reported missing at nine o' clock this evening. Friends of the couple said that they were in Los Angeles for the weekly ECW/Smackdown filming with Hardy's older brother, Matt. Sources also said that after an earlier accident, Britt stayed behind due to a headache while Hardy left for the show. She was last seen with Hardy before he left with his brother in their room at the Sheraton Hotel, and Hardy himself did not appear in the show as he was scheduled to."_

"It's almost like they're making Jeff sound somewhat responsible for this," Randy said in disbelief as a quick clip of the now disheveled hotel room was shown. It looked like Beth had put up a decent fight. Matt nodded angrily in agreement. He hated news reporters.

_"Though police have questioned those who were close to that hotel room during the time when Britt went missing, no leads have yet been found. The only speculation is that escaped convict Eric Howe could have something to do with Britt's abduction since he broke out of prison earlier this afternoon, but nothing is confirmed."_

"Of course, he's got everything to do with her," Adam muttered with annoyance as a picture of Brittany's father was shown on the screen. Matt shushed him as the report continued.

_"Neither Jeff nor Matt Hardy have been available for comment, but police are working on trying to contact them for questioning to see if they can provide any insight on Britt's location. If you have any information or spot Britt, please call…"_

"Great, that's going to be a phone call I'm going to hate to get," Matt told no one in particular as the picture of Beth and Jeff showed up on the screen again with the hotline number beneath it.

"We should call that number," Adam said, beginning to reach for his cell phone. "I mean, we know who took her, and-!"

"No," Randy told him, placing his hand on his arm to stop him. "Remember, the girl said no police. If her serial killer father wasn't there, I would say go ahead. But he is, so I don't want to take that chance with Beth."

Adam reluctantly nodded, putting his cell phone back in his pocket.

"_Wait, you know who did this?_" Shannon demanded on the phone, having overheard what Adam and Randy had said. Matt had forgotten that he was even holding it until he heard his friend's angry tone. "_Why don't you call that number? Don't you want to get Beth away from that lunatic, Man?_"

"You know I do, Shan," Matt replied as he got to his feet. "More than anything. But the girl we're dealing with is very unstable, and her father is an escaped serial killer. We have to continue carefully. I don't know what they will do to Beth if they find out we got the police involved when they told us not to. The fact that they're already involved without our doing is concerning me. Hold on… Guys, I'm going to get a beer. I'll be right back."

Mark watched as the older Hardy left the living room, still talking heatedly to the man on the other end as he shut the door behind him, before sighing and looking back at the television. The picture of Jeff and Beth was still on the screen with the hotline number, and his gaze softened slightly as he looked at their smiling faces. They looked so happy together, and since they had been in a relationship for such a long time, he couldn't imagine what Jeff was going through without her and knowing that she was in danger. He would be devastated if the same thing happened to his own wife. Then, his gaze hardened again. He cared about the kid, and he was going to get Beth, his life, back again. He would make sure of it.

Then, Mark's gaze moved to the door that separated the living area from the bedroom, feeling like something was off. Since Randy and Adam were absorbed in something on the laptop screen, he moved across the room and opened the door unnoticed by the other two and slowly entered.

Jeff was sitting up on the bed, his legs curled under his arms, as he stared blankly out the window, his face an expressionless mask. Mark softly closed the door behind him before approaching the younger Hardy, concerned when he didn't even seem to notice his presence. "How are you doing, Kid?" he asked with a sigh. "I thought you were sleeping."

At the sound of the sudden, gruff voice, Jeff gasped and looked up at the Dead Man. "Oh, I, uh… I couldn't sleep," he answered quietly as he looked away from him again. "I keep seeing her in danger, and I can never do anything to save her… I don't want to see it anymore. I don't know how much more I can take…"

Knowing that he was talking about Beth, Mark sighed again as he almost cautiously sat down next to Jeff on the bed. Ever since he had won his respect in their fateful ladder match years before, he had always looked at him in an admiring way due to his courage, his will to take risks, his creativeness, his determination, and his resilience. He would even go as far as saying the kid was reckless. But that was why he cared about him, both as a person and wanting him to have many successes in the ring. Never before had he seen Jeff so unsure, so helpless, so defeated. It worried him greatly.

"I heard you guys talking about a news report," Jeff continued, his voice still soft as he turned to look at him. "What happened?"

"Well, Randy and Adam found out about Brittany's family history, which I'm sure we'll talk to you about once Matt gets back," Mark explained. "The news report was just basically saying that Beth was missing and the police have no leads. Your friend Shannon called, and he and Matt got into a pretty heated discussion. He's down at the bar now, but he said he'd be back soon."

Jeff nodded, turning his attention back to the window. Mark sighed, trying to think of a way to talk to the kid. It wasn't going to be easy, but another conversation would keep his mind off of the danger Beth was in, at least for a little while. That would be a good thing.

But then, he was caught off guard when Jeff suddenly laughed a little. "Before you came in, Mark, I was thinking about when Beth and I first met ten years ago," he muttered.

"How did you two meet?" Mark wondered. The longer he could keep Jeff talking, the better. And this topic seemed to be making him smile, which was a bonus.

"It was actually in a restaurant," Jeff explained, a smile still lingering on his face at the memory. "I remember she was sitting inside by herself when Matt and I entered, and I was immediately drawn to her. You know how some people talk about love at first sight? I'm not quite sure I believe in that, but I do believe that a person will instantly know when they find the one they're meant to spend the rest of their life with. That's how I felt about Beth."

Mark nodded with a small smile when he paused, so Jeff continued. "We started talking, and I knew that she was the one that I was supposed to be with. I didn't say this to her, of course, but I could just tell that she knew it too. I was supposed to run some errands with Matt that day, but he could tell that I was really happy being with her, so he snuck out to do them while Beth and I kept talking. I think we were there until it closed, and the owner kicked us out. But, we met up again the next day, and the day after that, and before I even realized it, she was my girlfriend. It just felt so natural. It's so hard to believe that it's been ten years now…"

Jeff laughed a little, quickly tying his purple hair behind his head in a ponytail as tears formed in his eyes. Mark sighed, placing his hand on the younger Hardy's back. He had the feeling that if they wanted to save Beth, Jeff had to be at the top of his game. And for that to happen, he had to have some sense knocked into him.

"Whatever happened to being immune to fear, Kid?"

"What are you talking about?" Jeff asked quietly, looking up at The Undertaker curiously.

Mark smiled back down at him. "Immune to fear- the phrase all of your fans associate you with," he answered. "You're always taking huge risks, defying unbelievable odds, and cheating death without even a second thought."

Jeff sighed. "That's different," he muttered. "I'm not putting my own body on the line this time. "It's Beth…"

"Yes, but when you find the one person you're meant to spend the rest of your life with, they become your whole life," Mark countered. "Isn't that what you were just telling me, Kid?"

For a moment, Jeff merely stared at Mark in wonder. Then, something seemed to click in his mind since the look in his green eyes completely changed. The uncertainty, the fear, the helplessness was gone. Now, there was determination, strength, and spirit in his gaze- the typical look he had whenever he stepped foot into the ring.

"All right," Jeff said as he stood up, Mark doing the same next to him. "Thanks. I needed that."

"You're welcome," Mark replied with a slight smile as he placed his hand on Jeff's shoulder. "Good to have you back, Kid."

Jeff returned the smile, but before he could say anything, they both looked at the door of the room when they heard Adam's cry of, "Mark, come here! Quick!"

**Author's Note**: Hmm, that certainly doesn't sound good. What's up with Adam? Well, you'll have to find that out next time, lol. And by no means do I know exactly how Jeff and Beth met, but I think I read somewhere that it was in a restaurant, so I just went off of that. And poor Matt, majorly guilt tripping like he is. But, it's a good thing that Jeff's starting to get some of that fight back in him. He's going to need it. Thanks for reading! Your reviews are much appreciated. Thank you!


	9. Gives You Hell

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing associated with the WWE.

**Author's Note**: Right off the bat, yes, I have heard the bad news about Jeff, and yes, I am sad about it. But, a friend of mine (who actually doesn't live far from Jeff and knows someone who's best friends with both Hardys) has told me that he probably won't be gone for good, which is encouraging. I'm hoping Jeff comes back at some point after he has some time off! Anyway, thank you to **Expect-the-Unexpected75**, **- .I .Dream .of .Hardyz.-**, **traceyh79** (I'm not sure about a commitment phobe, lol, but neither one of them seem to mind not being married. They're happy and consider themselves more than just "boyfriend and girlfriend." Maybe a little, but he's close to losing his better half, lol. I don't think there's any more tears after this point, haha. And yep, they're going to start to retaliate!), **ponygirl-loves-mcqueen**, **xOallisonqtOx**, **Cheryl **(I'm sorry, lol! Don't get me wrong, I love Hugh Jackman too. I just think he would fit the part nicely appearance wise! And yes, they do. You'll have to see what happens!), and **dumwolf16** for your wonderful reviews! I hope you enjoy this chapter, where things will start picking up! I love the song I used for the title, lol. The words are so angry, but yet the tune is so happy. Haha, it's great! Anyway, thank you, and enjoy!

Chapter 9- Gives You Hell

**Artist**: _All-American Rejects_

"Mark, come here! Quick!"

At the anxious sound of their friend's voice, Mark exchanged a nervous look with Jeff before he threw open the door and hurried into the living area, the younger Hardy close behind. Both Adam and Randy were surprised to see Jeff too, but they quickly brushed the feeling aside as they turned their attention back to the television.

"Listen to this," Randy said, turning up the volume a bit. "The news reporter got a call from guess who."

Jeff's gaze hardened when he looked at the screen, seeing the picture of him and Beth, as he listened to a voice he really didn't want to hear.

"_I just want my condolences to reach Jeff,"_ Brittany was saying, sounding sweet and innocent as she talked to the woman covering the story about his missing other half. _"I can't imagine what he must be going through right now. I mean, he's been with Beth for ten years."_

"_All of our thoughts and prayers are with Mr. Hardy now during this difficult time," _the newscaster agreed while the four listened intently. _"Now, there has been early speculation with the police that your father, Eric Howe, is responsible for Miss Britt's disappearance. Do you have any comment on this?"_

"_I haven't even seen my father since he went to prison five years ago," _Brittany replied. _"But I don't think he's the one who took her. I mean, it's common sense. He just escaped from prison, so why risk getting thrown back in by doing something like this? I have no respect for what my father has done in the past, but I do believe that he's smarter than that."_

"Lying little bitch," Adam muttered. The others hardly even noticed his comment.

_"Well, thank you for your call, Miss Howe. Do you have anything else you want to say to Mr. Hardy if he were listening now?"_

"_Yes. I just want him to know that I'm sorry this had to happen and I only hope for the best for him. It's what he deserves."_

"That's a double meaning," Randy said while Adam turned the television back down. "I think we all know that she believes she's what's best for him."

"Yep," Adam agreed. Then, he turned to look at the younger Hardy. "Hey, you okay, Jeff?"

Jeff nodded. "I'm ready to face this," he replied, his tone not wavering. Adam smiled, relieved to see that the old Jeff seemed to be back, which was a good thing. Brittany had messed with the bull- she was now going to get the horns.

"Ah, that guy is demented," Randy suddenly muttered, his eyes glued to the laptop screen.

"Which guy?" Mark asked.

"Brittany's father," Randy answered as Adam leaned over to look at the screen. "How could someone do that to another human being?"

Realizing that he must have been talking about Eric Howe's past victims, and knowing what fate he could prevent for Beth, Jeff leaned on the arm of the couch. "What did he do to them?"

Randy's eyes narrowed, seeming very disturbed by what he was reading. "Well, first he would snap their legs so they couldn't run and break their arms so they couldn't fight back," he explained hoarsely. "Then, he would take pins and put them into their skin, like their face, their arms, their legs… He would then leave them like that for a number of hours so that they would go crazy since they couldn't pull the pins out before finally killing them by slitting their throats. The man's a monster…"

Jeff suddenly felt slightly sick to his stomach. He could imagine Beth fighting for her life before she began to lose her mind from the torture the man inflicted upon her. Then, he could see the pictures of Beth with the pins suck in her face on Brittany's wall, and everything seemed to crash down around him. He could see the same thing happening to Beth so easily…

But then, he took a deep breath, and his resolve once again took over. He knew that he had to be strong for Beth. If he was, then he could figure out a way to save her. He was willing to risk his own life against this maniac so she could survive.

Before anyone could comment on this disturbing article further, the door to the hotel room opened and Matt entered. He seemed to be a bit more relaxed after his discussion with Shannon, but then, he was surprised to see that his brother was awake. "Jeff…"

"Don't worry, Matt. I'm all right," Jeff told him. "Let's just say that I got some sense knocked into me."

Matt gave him a relieved smile. "Good," he replied. Then, he turned his attention to the couch. "Randy, there's a call in the lobby for you."

"Oh, okay." Randy handed the laptop to Adam before he stood up and stretched. "I'll be right back."

He walked past Matt out of the room, and the older Hardy turned to Jeff again. "It's good to see you're okay, Jeffro," he muttered, putting his arm around his shoulder.

"Yeah, I've got a bit of a clearer head now," Jeff confirmed as he gave him a smile. "I'm ready to get Beth back."

"That's what I like to hear."

Then, Jeff's cell phone rang, and he wasn't surprised to hear that it was Beth's ringtone. He also knew that it wasn't going to be Beth who was calling him. But, he pulled out his phone and answered the call anyway. "Hello?"

"_I believe I told you no police, Jeffro._"

The anger in her tone surprised him. "What are you talking about, Brittany?" Jeff asked. "I haven't talked to the police at all."

"_Have any of your friends?_" Brittany demanded.

"No."

"_Liar!_" Jeff almost dropped the phone at her sudden ferocity. "_I _know_ one of the guys with you was questioned!_"

Randy. He had been questioned back at the other hotel where Beth had been kidnapped. He had almost forgotten. "Brittany, listen to me," Jeff tried to reason. "All he told him was his account of what happened to Beth. He didn't see anything. He didn't even know about you or your father!"

"_I don't believe you,_" Brittany said. "_If he didn't say anything, how are the police already speculating that my father's the one who took her?_"

Jeff had had enough. "Look," he told her firmly, hoping his agitation wasn't sneaking into his tone too much. "Maybe the police are speculating that your father's responsible because he just broke out of fucking prison, okay? I don't know. All I know is that Randy didn't tell anyone a damn thing, and we're not the ones who got the police involved." Matt looked at his younger brother nervously, tightening his arm around him, but Jeff ignored the gesture.

Brittany giggled. "_You sound different than the last time I talked to you, Jeffro,_" she commented. "_You sound more confident, stronger…_"

"That's because I am," Jeff confirmed. "I'm ready to deal with you."

"_Well, that's good. But, I have to say your girlfriend's not going to be happy in a minute._"

Jeff's heart dropped. "What do you mean?" he asked quietly.

"_It's obvious, isn't it?_" Brittany answered, though it really wasn't an answer. "_If I don't do something in response to having the police getting involved, you wouldn't learn from your mistakes._"

"Brittany, I swear to God, if you lay one hand on her…" Jeff began to angrily threaten.

He was interrupted by another giggle. "_Don't worry. This will be fun,_" she said, but Jeff highly doubted it. "_Let's see, what can I do… Oh, I know. It's kind of sweet, in a way. Okay, Jeff. Recently, you were the victim of three accidents. Beth was already involved in a hit and run. She was already found on a staircase. Which leaves… what?_"

Jeff's eyes widened with fear when he realized what she was going to do, remembering the incident with the spark machines. "Brittany, no," he muttered. "Please, don't…"

"_Sorry, Jeffro._" Jeff heard a lighter click on, heard some muffled whimpers that he recognized to be from Beth, and then his heart nearly stopped when he heard her scream, the sound again muffled. She must have been wearing a gag.

"No!" he cried.

"_There, all done,_" Brittany told him with a giggle. "_Maybe that will teach you not to cross me, Jeffro. But see? You guys are even now._"

He was going to kill her, Jeff realized. The accidents he had been involved with were scripted, they hadn't happened in real life. The fact that Brittany had done this to Beth was the final straw.

_"When you see my face_

_Hope it gives you hell, hope it gives you hell_

_When you walk my way_

_Hope it gives you hell, hope it gives you hell…"_

Jeff was determined to make Brittany's life a living Hell for what she had done to Beth. She was going to regret ever crossing him.

"_You're lucky that my father wasn't here, Jeffro,_" Brittany continued lightly. "_I only burned a part of your girlfriend's arm. He would have done something much worse._"

"Where is your father?" Jeff asked quietly, feeling unnerved by the girl's statement.

Brittany laughed. "_He's around,_" she answered. "_Oh, by the way, did Randy like my phone call?_"

Jeff's stomach clenched so tightly it hurt. "What did you do to him?" he demanded.

"I _didn't do anything,_" Brittany told him. "_But, I'm warning you now. If you call 9-1-1, Beth is in serious trouble. Bye for now!_"

"Brittany, wait!" Jeff said, but he was too late. She giggled and ended the call.

"What did she say?" Matt wondered nervously as Jeff sighed and put his phone back in his pocket.

Jeff slowly turned to look at Matt. "Randy," he muttered, a scared glint in his eyes. What had happened to him? Why would they have to call 9-1-1? The possibilities terrified him.

Matt looked at his brother for a long moment, realizing that something was wrong. Then, he turned and hurried out of the hotel room with Jeff, Adam, and Mark close behind.

They ran all the way from their room on the fourth floor down to the lobby, and the woman behind the desk gave them an angry look as they noisily approached. "How can I help you?"

"There was a man down here who had a phone call," Matt explained, feeling anxious that Randy was nowhere in the lobby. "It was only a few minutes ago. Do you know where he went?"

The woman looked thoughtful for a moment. Then, she slowly nodded. "Yeah, his name was Randy," she muttered. "It was a woman from the police department, I think. He mentioned something about her wanting him to meet her out in the parking lot to answer a couple more questions about the disappearance of that girl, or something."

Matt and Jeff exchanged concerned looks, both having the feeling that it hadn't been a woman from the police department who called. And even if it had, it wouldn't take Randy that long to answer only a couple of questions.

"Thank you," Matt said before turning to look at the rest of the small group. "Come on, guys." He led the way out of the hotel to the parking lot where they stopped and scanned the large clump of cars ahead of them. "I don't see anything…"

"I don't either," Adam muttered. "But let's split up. We'll find him easier that way. I hope he's okay…"

"Me too." Jeff hoped that nothing had happened to their friend, but he couldn't fight back the feeling that something had. If Brittany had been the one that called him, then the whole situation had been set up. And if her father had been nearby…

"All right. Let's go," Matt told them, once again taking charge. "Holler if you find something."

The four friends scattered in different directions, hoping to find something that would give them a clue about what happened to him, or even better, Randy himself. Jeff moved through a line of cars, desperately hoping that Randy would be all right. He was a close friend of his that would be devastating to lose. But then, he thought about who else was close to Randy. A wife would lose a husband. A young girl would grow up without knowing her father…

His fear was beginning to be replaced by anger. That wasn't going to happen. Not only had Brittany taken Beth, and hurt her, but she also had her father probably hurt another one of his friends. He wasn't going to let her continue. She was going much too far, and he knew that she was going to pay dearly for everything.

"I found him!" Mark suddenly shouted. "He's by Matt and Jeff's rental car!"

He wasn't sure if this statement was a good or bad thing. Jeff turned around and immediately began to run full speed in the direction of Mark's voice, knowing where Matt had parked. When he reached it, he saw that he was the first one there since he had been closest. Mark was kneeling on the ground, and his heart racing, Jeff slowly approached him to get his first look at Randy. His eyes widened in horror.

Matt and Adam joined them a couple of minutes later, and they both gasped when they saw their missing friend. "Oh, my God…"

Randy was lying on the ground, unconscious, with some pins sticking out of his face, arms, and hands. There was also a bruise forming over his left eye, and there was some blood coming from the back of his head, which was where he must have been struck.

"We have to call an ambulance," Adam said, reaching for his cell phone.

"No," Jeff replied hurriedly, placing his hand on his arm to stop him. "We can't do that."

"Are you fucking crazy, Hardy?" Adam demanded angrily, seeming to be very Edge-like at the moment. "Look at him before you fucking look me in the eye and tell me not to call a fucking ambulance!" The stress of the situation finally seemed to be starting to get to him.

Jeff sighed, looking down at the unresponsive Randy before moving his gaze back to Adam's intense blue eyes. "We can't call an ambulance," he repeated softly but firmly. "Brittany will do something to Beth if we do."

"So, Brittany's behind this then?" Matt asked before Adam could retaliate, the anger easily noticeable in his tone.

"Her father, actually," Mark supplied, looking up at Matt. "These pins are a trademark for all of his past victims. That's probably why we can't call anyone since it would be too recognizable. Judging by the bruise by his eye, I'm guessing Randy put up a good fight, which was why he was knocked out. Normally, Eric Howe breaks the arms and legs of his victims so they can't run or fight, but he didn't do that to him. I'm guessing he didn't have time. Adam, you can calm down. An ambulance won't be necessary. I checked his eyes and vitals, and I'm sure he'll be just fine once we get these pins out and he rests. Matt's got Ibuprofen, so we're set."

Jeff breathed a sigh of relief at Mark's words, and Adam looked at him for a long moment before nodding in reluctant agreement, all of the anger leaving his face. "Let's get these pins out," the younger Hardy suggested, kneeling next to Mark and carefully pulling one out of Randy's hand. Matt and Adam knelt down across from them and began to do the same.

It was a long process, even with all of them working, since Randy winced in pain every time a pin was pulled out, and his face was the hardest place to remove them. But finally, they got all of them out and in a pile on the ground, and Randy was one again resting peacefully.

After sitting still for silent moment longer and merely looking down at his friend, Jeff suddenly cried out in frustration and got to his feet, beginning to restlessly pace. Matt got up too, grabbing his brother by the arms to stop him.

"Jeff, that's not going to solve anything," he tried to reason with him.

"Matt, give me the car keys," Jeff muttered, seeming to not even hear his statement.

The older Hardy looked at him with surprise. "What? Why?" he asked. "Where are you going?"

"To Brittany's place to fix this," Jeff answered angrily. "She's gone too far, Matt. I'm going to end this now."

"Shouldn't we think this through first?" Adam wondered from where he was still kneeling next to Mark and Randy.

Matt stared into his brother's determined green eyes, knowing that it would be useless to try to talk him out of his decision. It was the same every time he stepped into the ring. If Jeff wanted to do something crazy, there was no stopping him. "Well, you really don't think you're going to do this by yourself, do you?" he said. "I want to give this girl a piece of my mind too."

Jeff looked back at his brother for a long moment before he smiled in return, grateful for his support. He was going to need it. "Thanks, Matt."

"Adam, why don't you go with Matt and Jeff while I stay here to take care of Randy?" Mark suggested.

"Are you sure you'll be okay here by yourself?" Adam asked with concern. If Brittany's father was the one who had attacked Randy, it probably wasn't the best idea to be alone.

Mark nodded. "I'll be fine," he answered. "I don't think Eric would stick around here after attacking someone like this, so Matt and Jeff will probably need your help more than I do. Go."

Adam reluctantly nodded, getting to his feet and joining Matt and Jeff just as the older Hardy handed the car keys to the younger. "All right, Jeffro. Bring us to Brittany so we can get our little girl back."

* * *

Jeff pulled up in front of the apartment building with ivy growing on its walls that he had been to only once before, which was when this whole mess started. He shivered as he looked up at it. He wasn't sure how he had found it again since it was so cut off from the rest of the city, but he also wasn't sure if he was glad he found it. The place looked even creepier at night.

But yes, he reasoned, it was a good thing. At least he was able to get Beth now and get her away from these lunatics.

"_This_ is where she lives?" Adam asked as he climbed out of the backseat. "Well, it's fitting, to say the least…"

Matt sighed as he got out of the passenger seat at the same time Jeff left the car and locked it up. He looked at his younger brother for a long moment before he nodded with determination and started walking toward the building. Adam and Matt followed close behind Jeff as they quietly went through the front door and started up the flight of stairs to the second floor.

"Did you notice that it's a bit _too _quiet?" Matt commented, looking nervously around at the dimly lit hallway as the three of them stopped in front of a door that said 2-C. He was suddenly reminded of a horror movie.

"Yeah," Jeff replied in a whisper. "This is the one." He placed his hand on the doorknob and slowly turned it, surprised to find that it was open. His nerves on high alert now, imagining a deranged, dark-haired man waiting for him holding some sort of weapon on the other side, he cautiously pushed open the door to the dark apartment. His eyes widened in horror, and Matt and Adam gasped at what they saw in the light coming from the moon.

There was no man waiting to attack them. In fact, there was nothing at all, not even a thousand of Jeff's pictures. The place was completely deserted.

**Author's Note**: I couldn't make it that easy for them, could I? Lol. Of course not! Man, Brittany's a… not very nice word, lol. But where did she go, and where is Beth? Will Jeff find her in time? Hopefully, we'll find out soon, lol. Thanks for reading! Your reviews are much appreciated!


	10. No More Words

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing associated with the WWE.

**Author's Note**: Wow. The fact that this story has 61 reviews is just amazing to me. Thank you so much, you guys! You're all awesome! Thank you to **Expect-the-Unexpected75**, **BubblyShell22**, **cheryl24**, **dumwolf16**, **the hardy boyz lover**, **ponygirl-loves-mcqueen**, **xOallisonqtOx**, **-.I .Dream .of .Hardyz.-**, and **blackbear1020** for your always encouraging reviews! I hope you all enjoy this chapter too! And since I used Matt's entrance theme, you don't think that I would leave out Jeff's, do you?

Chapter 10- No More Words

**Artist**: _Endeverafter_

Jeff slowly opened his eyes when sunlight hit them, and he groaned quietly when he tried to move and his cramped muscles protested to the action. By default, Randy got the only bed in the hotel room for the rest of the night, so everyone else had to find another spot to sleep. Since he was the oldest, they let Mark have the couch, Adam had passed out curled up on a chair, and Jeff found himself sitting on the floor leaning back against the wall with his head resting on Matt's shoulder. It was a very uncomfortable sleeping position. He was getting too old for this.

Hearing his brother stir, Matt opened his eyes and sleepily turned to look at him while he yawned. "Hey," he whispered, seeing that Adam and Mark were still asleep. He didn't want to wake them.

"Hey," Jeff replied just as quietly with a small smile, but it was replaced with a wince when he tried to straighten up more.

"Sore, old man?" Matt teased as he laughed a little.

Jeff gave him the middle finger, which only made Matt laugh more.

When both Hardys were up and moving around, Matt went to the small bathroom in their room while Jeff got some water from the bubbler. He watched Adam and Mark sleep for a few minutes while sipping on the cool liquid, and when Matt still didn't come out, he sighed and left the hotel room, walking down the four flights of stairs to the main floor. From there, he went outside and stood on the sidewalk in front of the hotel, taking another drink as he silently watched the sun continue to rise. This was calming to him, which was something he needed after last night…

"What are you doing out here, Jeffro?"

Jeff slowly turned to look over his shoulder, watching as Matt approached him. "Just trying to get away from everything," he answered quietly as he looked back at the sunrise. "It's relaxing out here…"

Matt sighed heavily as he placed his arm around his brother's shoulders. He couldn't help but notice how sleep-deprived he looked. "I'm really sorry about last night," he muttered. "But that whole building was abandoned. I mean, you saw the notice yourself. The place is set for implosion at the end of the week since it's a safety hazard."

"I know. I saw it." Jeff looked back at Matt, an unreadable expression on his face. "I just don't know where else she would be. I mean, when I went there yesterday, Brittany _lived_ there, Matt."

"Are you sure that's the right apartment building?" Matt asked cautiously.

"Yes, I'm sure of it!" Jeff answered heatedly as he crushed the plastic cup in his hand and caused water to go everywhere. "Brittany is still there somewhere with Beth, Matt, and I'm going to prove it!"

* * *

Beth slowly opened her eyes, whimpering quietly when she tried to lift her head. Her neck was very sore from sitting in a chair tied up for the entire night, but the sound of her pain was muffled due to the gag that was still in her mouth. Once she was able to sit completely straight, Beth looked around her and saw that she was in a different room than before she had dozed off. There was only one small window on the wall across from her and no door, and there were no pictures of Jeff surrounding her. In a way, she missed that. In a way, it reminded her of the man she loved most, and she wouldn't mind dying if those pictures were the last things she ever saw.

Then, Beth gasped when a large, square-shaped door on the floor lifted up and Brittany climbed through. She realized she must have been in the attic or something if the only way to enter the room was through the floor. Brittany smiled when she saw that Beth was awake, and she merrily approached her.

"Did you sleep well in your new room last night?" she asked cheerfully.

Beth glared daggers back at her, and even though she was still gagged, her eyes got the message across crystal clear. _What do you think, you little bitch? I'm tied to a chair and have no idea where I am!_

But Brittany seemed to be unfazed by her dark look. "I have some interesting news for you," she said lightly as she knelt in front of her. "Your precious Jeffro came with his brother and Edge to try to find you last night. Of course, they didn't find you in our apartment since we had already moved up here. But it's sweet, really, how devoted he is to you. It's obvious."

Though she tried to say something in return, it only came out as incoherent mumblings. Beth inwardly sighed with frustration. She was very worried about Jeff, Matt, and Adam, especially since they had been there. What had Brittany done to them?

"Shh, it's okay, Beth," Brittany told her, touching her cheek lightly until Beth turned her face away from her thin, ice-cold fingers. "They weren't harmed. The only problem is now they believe that you're not here since they think the building's abandoned. I don't want to call Jeff again since it would get too repetitive. That's where I need your help, Beth."

Beth looked back at her angrily while Brittany lowered the gag from her mouth. "I'm not going to do anything for you, you bitch!" she snapped.

Anger flared in Brittany's eyes, but as soon as it was there, it was gone. "You know," she began calmly. "My father really got to your friend Randy last night. He'll be sore for a while." She paused, delighted when she saw Beth's expression change from anger to fear. "But if you refuse to help me now, someone else will get hurt… or worse. How would it feel to have a… dead Matt Hardy on your conscience when he's your lover's brother?"

Dread blossomed in Beth's heart when she heard the question. Not only was Matt Jeff's brother, he was her brother too. She couldn't stand to lose him… She sighed, tears forming in her eyes when she realized she had no other choice. She couldn't take that chance with Matt.

So, it was with a heavy heart that Beth hung her head and muttered, "Okay, Brittany. What do you want me to do?"

* * *

It took about another hour for the rest of the group to wake up. When Jeff and Matt got back up to the hotel room, they saw that Mark was sitting up and reading that day's paper. It wasn't very long, but he showed them that there was a small article about Beth's disappearance on the front page.

Randy was up next, stretching as he left the bedroom. He looked better than he had during the night, but the bruises on his head were still there and he had a few small red dots on his face and hands, but most of them had already worn away. He also said that he had a headache, so Matt gave him some Ibuprofen while Mark and Jeff started up the coffee maker. Adam woke up a little while later, probably because of the strong smell, and once the five men were all up and done with their coffee and had taken turns changing in the other room, they decided to go somewhere else for lunch since none of them were really fond of hotel food. Choosing to all take the Hardys' rental car, Matt climbed in behind the wheel while everyone else piled in and took off to find a place to eat.

"We have so many people sending us messages on Twitter, Man," Jeff muttered from the passenger seat as he checked the social networking site from his phone. "They're all worried about Beth and about how I'm handling it."

"My Myspace is probably jam-packed too," Matt replied with a sigh. "All right, Jeffro, just post something along the lines of we appreciate their concern but we are not able to answer any questions at the current time because we don't know anything. No doubt Brittany's tracking you through that too."

"Okay, but I'll do that in a simpler way," Jeff told him, beginning to type in his post. "I only have so many characters to work with, you know."

"That's one of the reasons I'm not on all of those networking sites," Randy said from the back.

"Well, unlike you, we like to interact with our fans," Matt countered with a laugh. "We like them."

Randy smiled. "I like my fans," he defended himself.

"Oh, you mean the few you have left, Mr. Legend Killer?" Adam teased from next to him.

"Hey, I wouldn't talk. Besides, I have more than you think I do."

Adam looked like he was going to retaliate, but before he could, someone's cell phone went off.

"Sorry, it's Samantha," Randy told them as he pulled out his phone and flipped it open. "Hello? No, everything's fine. We're still working on trying to find Beth…"

Matt glanced in the rear-view mirror as Randy continued talking to his wife. She must have been really worried about him, and he couldn't blame her. What Randy was helping them with was dangerous, that much was proven when he had gotten attacked last night. No one associated with Jeff was safe. It was at that moment that he felt guilty for putting Samantha through this worry when in reality she shouldn't have had to since Randy didn't have to help them. This was his and Jeff's problem, and he promised himself that he would return her husband home to her safely.

Then, Randy's expression turned to one of surprise, but it was a good surprised. "Is she awake?" he asked. "Yes, of course. Put her on." There was a slight pause before a big smile appeared on his face. "Hey, Baby. Are you taking good care of Mommy?"

A smile appeared on Matt's face also when he heard Randy talking to Alanna, his young daughter. Randy made an excellent father. There was no one he loved more than his little girl. Then, Matt inwardly sighed. He had hopes himself of one day starting a family of his own, but it was hard with a wrestling schedule since he was on the road so much. He hadn't found the right woman yet anyway. He glanced at Jeff, still leaning back in the seat next to him as he looked at all of their Twitter messages from concerned fans. He was the luckier of the two of them, he realized. Though he had great friends that he loved dearly, Jeff had found his soul mate- the one woman he was meant to spend the rest of his life with. It was something he wanted too, but he knew he would patiently wait for.

Then, Matt couldn't help but laugh a little to himself. He had always thought that Jeff and Beth would make wonderful parents, especially seeing how they were with some of their friends' children, but they were still undecided about having their own. It was ironic, really, how Jeff had the opportunity to be a father when he wasn't sure about having children while he would have loved to start a family and he couldn't at that time. But, his family was his brother and Beth, and he couldn't have been happier. That thought made him even more determined to make sure that they got their little girl back safely.

"I love you too, Baby. Bye, bye." Randy finished his conversation with his daughter and flipped his phone closed before putting it back in his pocket. The serenity and joy of talking to her still lingered on his face.

"Is she talking already?" Adam asked curiously.

"Somewhat," Randy answered with a smile. "There are a couple things she can say, but it's still hard to understand her. She's trying hard, though. She's quite a talker." He laughed a little. "She actually just tried to say, 'I love you, Daddy.' That's something new."

Adam smiled broadly, as did everyone else in the car, as Matt decided to stop at Subway for lunch. It was quick and easy, and they could still try to think of a solution for this Beth situation. He also knew they would have to find one fast.

After the five men ordered their sandwiches, they found a table near the back of the restaurant so they could talk in private. But that didn't even do much good since people were still approaching them and either asking for autographs or questions about Beth. Jeff often stayed quiet, though he did sign a few napkins, and Matt did a lot of talking for the group. The younger Hardy's silence was unnerving to his friends and especially his brother, but they also knew better than to push him if he didn't want to talk.

When he was done eating, Jeff got up and threw his trash away before leaving the restaurant- all without saying a word. Since he was already finished, Mark got up and also threw his trash away before following him. Matt sighed, beginning to eat a little faster. His brother's mood had finally been starting to improve, but since their discovery of the abandoned apartment, he was once again taking a negative turn. This greatly concerned him, and he hoped that he would be all right. Jeff had always talked to him when something was wrong, but now, it seemed like he wasn't even his brother at all. He was almost an empty shell, his spirit gone ever since Beth had been taken. It worried him.

Mark left the restaurant, looking around anxiously for the younger Hardy. After a moment, he found Jeff sitting on a bench in a small but nice flower garden near the building, staring blankly at the memorial that the planted flowers surrounded. He sighed, slowly walking on the gravel path that led to the garden over to the bench.

When he approached, Jeff slowly looked up at him. "Let me guess. What happened to 'immune to fear,' right?" he asked quietly with small smile.

"Not exactly what I was going to say," Mark answered as he sat down next to him. "What's bothering you, Kid? You were ready to face this last night, but now, you're not even speaking to us. What's on your mind?"

Jeff sighed as he leaned forward so his arms were resting on his knees, not able to meet The Undertaker's gaze. "Beth's still in that apartment building somewhere, I know she is," he muttered. "It makes sense since Brittany wants me to find her. She wouldn't just leave and go to a place that I don't know. It doesn't make any sense. But Matt and Adam don't believe me. I feel like I'm alone in this, Mark…"

"You're not alone, Kid," Mark tried to reassure him. "It just… seems unlikely that she would still be there. With that implosion notice…"

"You agree with Matt." It wasn't a question- it was a statement. Hurt was also noticeable in the younger man's tone.

Mark sighed, not knowing what to say. He knew that there was a slim chance that Beth was still in that apartment building since Matt had told him that it had been completely abandoned and set for implosion, but he also didn't want to betray Jeff's trust so he felt even worse. He didn't want him to do something crazy on his own if he felt like no one was with him.

But before he could figure out what to say, they both looked up when they heard hurried footsteps, and they watched as Adam and Randy quickly approached them. "What's going on?" Mark wondered as he got to his feet, Jeff doing the same next to him.

"This news truck just showed up wanting to talk to Jeff," Adam explained quickly. "They want his story on how he's feeling about this whole thing and if he knows anything or whatever. But, we didn't think that would be the best idea with that psycho bitch keeping tabs on him, so Matt's distracting them and basically saying that we don't know anything and Jeff isn't available for comment."

"He's being interviewed on the sidewalk at the other end of the parking lot, and we're basically supposed to sneak Jeff to the car so we can get him out of here," Randy added. "We'll drive to that gas station we passed around the corner, and Matt will meet us there once he's done."

"Good thinking," Mark said. Then, he turned to look at Jeff behind him. "Are you ready to go?"

Jeff nodded in silent answer, and Mark looked at him with concern. Was he already feeling that he no longer supported him? He wasn't sure, but he didn't have much time to dwell on it since Randy and Adam were already heading to the small parking lot. He went with them, and Jeff slowly followed after.

When they reached their rental car, they were surprised to see the large group of people that had gathered around Matt and the reporter for his interview, even blocking the entrance of the parking lot. "This could be tricky," Adam muttered as he nervously eyed all of the people. "How are we going to get Jeff out of here without him being seen?"

"Well, I can drive since Matt gave me the keys," Randy said. "Adam, you or Mark could sit in the passenger seat, and Jeff could duck down in the back."

Adam nodded thoughtfully. "Maybe Mark should sit up front with you," he suggested. "He looks more intimidating than I do."

"Good point. Okay, so that's what we'll do then."

Jeff sighed and turned to watch his brother talk to the woman who was interviewing him, tuning out the rest of his friends' discussion about seating arrangements. This was getting ridiculous. Everything they were doing now was just proving that they were afraid of Brittany. Of course, he was scared as hell about Beth's safety, but this seemed to be overboard. If they were so scared, he knew he was going to save Beth anyway, even if he had to do so on his own.

Then, something caught his attention from the corner of his eye, and Jeff watched as a black car pulled to a stop across the street. He recognized that car immediately. It was the same one that had hit them the day before in the other hotel parking lot. And though he couldn't see the driver, he could see who was sitting in the passenger seat, and it made his heart throb painfully.

It was Beth.

She looked at him sadly, placing her hand on the window longingly. Jeff glanced behind him, seeing that his three friends didn't notice, and turned back to Beth. He was sure she could see the longing on his face as he reached his hand out toward the car since he saw tears form in her eyes as she placed her other hand on the window too, seeming like she was trying to get to him. It was crushing.

Then, he saw reluctance appear on Beth's face as she began to mouth something to him. It must have been something she didn't want to say, but she was being forced to anyway. Jeff squinted a little, watching her lips carefully to try to see what she was telling him. It took him a minute, but he was finally able to make out the word.

_Apartment._

So, he _was_ right. Beth was still in that apartment somewhere. He had a feeling that she was, but this just proved it. And now that he knew for sure that's where she was, Jeff was more determined than ever to go there and get her out, even if he had to do it alone.

Seeing that he had understood what she had been trying to get across, the sorrow returned to Beth's face as a single tear fell from her eye. She mouthed another small phrase, one she knew Jeff would recognize immediately.

_I love you._

Jeff sighed when he saw this, his own gaze saddening as he mouthed those three words back to her and blew her a kiss. It was pure torture to see the woman he loved most in the world only a short distance away, and he couldn't go to her. His longing to rush over to her and pull her into his arms, to hold her, to protect her was so strong it was painful. His only consolation at that moment was he knew he would be seeing her soon since he knew where she was.

But then, Jeff's eyes widened with horror when he saw the darkened back window of the car roll down and the barrel of a shotgun barely stuck out so it wasn't visible. He followed its intended path nervously, and his heart nearly stopped when he saw who it was directed at.

"_Matt_!"

Mark quickly looked over his shoulder at where Jeff had been standing at the sound of his strangled cry, alarmed to see that he was now running as fast as he could toward the crowd that had gathered near the street where Matt was being interviewed. The idea had been to keep him _away_ from the people. "Jeff, what are you doing?" he called after him.

But the Dead Man's question went unanswered since his mind was only set on reaching Matt in time. All Jeff cared about at that moment was his brother.

Matt stopped whatever he was saying to the reporter and looked up, his face darkening with confusion when he saw an anxious Jeff approaching him. "Jeffro, what-!"

But he never got the chance to finish his thought.

Everything happened so fast, it only took about three seconds- a familiar span of time for the older Hardy. But time seemed to move much slower for Matt as his eyes widened with fear when he watched Jeff leap at him. There was a loud noise that sounded like a gunshot just as his baby brother tackled him. Both Hardys crashed to the ground as time once again sped back up to its normal pace.

There was a moment of stunned silence.

And then all Hell broke loose.

**Author's Note**: Now that I want Subway, sorry about that nasty cliffie, lol. What's going to happen next now that Jeff knows where Beth is? You'll have to find out! Thanks for reading. Your reviews are much appreciated!


	11. Prayer of the Refugee

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing associated with the WWE.

**Author's Note**: Hey! Thanks for your reviews! I have to be really quick since I don't have much, but I really, really appreciate everyone's reviews! I hope you all enjoy this chapter! Who got shot? Well, you're about to find out!

Chapter 11- Prayer of the Refugee

**Artist**: _Rise Against_

Beth covered her mouth as tears flowed freely down her cheeks and sobs shook her body. She hadn't wanted to tell Jeff where she was. She knew that would only make him more determined to put himself in danger and come find her. That had been hard enough. But _this_… This should never have happened. She had seen Jeff push Matt out of the way just as Brittany's father fired the gun, so he knew that if anyone had been hit, it had been the love of her life. Had he been hit? Was he even alive? She wasn't sure…

"Hmm, I certainly didn't expect him to do that," Brittany muttered thoughtfully as she started the car again and slowly began to drive away.

"You bitch… You fucking bitch!" Beth snapped through her tears. The feeling inside of her was overwhelming, and she couldn't place what it was. Fury. Fear. Sorrow. Or all combined. It had to come out somehow. "Why did you do that?! He could be dead! We don't know!"

Then, Beth squeaked in surprise when Eric Howe forcefully grabbed her hair from behind and pulled her head back against the seat, his face inches away from hers. "I would stop yelling before you draw attention to us," he muttered, a threat woven into his tone. "Otherwise, your lover boy won't be the only one who might be dead."

Beth whimpered when he roughly pushed her head back forward and released her, continuing to sob as she curled in on herself protectively. She saw Brittany give her a look that almost seemed to be of sympathy, but she ignored it as she trembled. Up until now, she had acted strong to the faces of her kidnappers to prove that she wasn't afraid of them. But now that she had witnessed the possible death of the man she loved most, that fight in her was gone, just as he might have been gone. It was a thought she couldn't bear.

"…Jeffro…"

* * *

Matt's eyes snapped open when he heard screaming around him, startled to see that he was lying on his back on the sidewalk. He had no idea what he was doing there since all he had been doing was being interviewed.

But then, everything came rushing back to him. He remembered hearing Jeff scream his name… remembered Jeff tackling him… remembered hearing the gunshot…

Gasping, Matt immediately sat up, seeing that his brother was lying on the ground next to him. He was curled up with is hands on his side, his eyes clenched tightly shut in pain and his breathing heavy.

"_Jeff_! Jeff, are you okay?" Matt asked anxiously, placing his hand on his pale face. When he got no response, his eyes traveled down to Jeff's side, and he carefully moved his hands away. His eyes widened and his heart nearly stopped when he saw blood. "Oh, my God… Someone call an ambulance!" He looked anxiously at the terrified crowd still gathered, hoping that someone would call.

"No, I'm all right," Jeff gasped, his green eyes filled with pain as he looked up at Matt. "It didn't hit me. It only grazed my side. There's no bullet in me."

Matt's gaze hardened, though he felt an overwhelming sense of relief course through him. "I still want you to get it looked at, Jeffro," he said firmly. "I'm not taking no for an answer."

"Then take me to the hospital yourself," Jeff muttered, closing his eyes again. "I'm not riding in a fucking ambulance…"

Despite himself, Matt laughed a little as he placed his hand on his brother's back. "All right. Have it your way," he replied. "Why do you have to be so damn stubborn?"

Jeff didn't answer, so Matt carefully lifted him up into his arms and began to walk through the crowd in the direction of the parking lot. The younger Hardy winced in pain, but Matt didn't slow his pace. His brother needed medical attention, and he was going to make sure he got it.

When he made it through the crowd of people and started walking toward the car, Matt stopped when he was rushed by Randy, Mark, and Adam. What was even worse was that they were all asking questions at once.

"What the hell happened?"

"Is he okay?"

"What was that gunshot?"

"I can only answer one question at a time," Matt told them with annoyance. This wasn't getting anywhere.

"You don't even know what happened, Matt," Jeff said quietly from his arms, giving him a weak smile. "You can't answer a damn question."

Matt looked back down at him. "Okay, smart-ass, can you tell them what happened then?" he asked lightly.

Jeff nodded. "There was this car across the street when Mat was being interviewed," he explained. "I'm not sure who, but someone had a shotgun and was directing it at him. I can only assume it was Brittany's father. Anyway, I pushed Matt out of the way as the gun was fired, and the bullet only skimmed my side… I think…" He figured that he wouldn't tell them he had seen Beth. They probably wouldn't believe him anyway.

"I'm going to take him to the hospital," Matt muttered with worry when he watched Jeff suddenly groan and close his eyes as he laid his head on his shoulder. "You guys can decide if you want to come with us or not."

Mark sighed. " I think I'll stay here," he replied. "Someone has to calm these people down. Plus, I'll keep my eye out for anything suspicious. I'll meet you at the hospital in a little while."

"If you're going to keep your eye out for a serial killer, I should probably stay too," Randy added as he gave Adam the keys. "It's not safe alone. Besides, Jeff can have the whole backseat to himself that way."

Matt nodded. He would have preferred to keep everyone together, but it was probably best this way. He would see them in a little while anyway. And they were two of the most talented wrestlers in the business. They could take care of themselves. Besides, his brother's sudden lethargy was worrying him, and he wanted to get him to the hospital as quickly as he could. He could have been losing too much blood. "All right. See you in a little bit."

Randy nodded in confirmation. "See you in a little bit."

Realizing the urgency of the situation, Adam had already unlocked the car and took his place in the passenger seat while Matt finished talking to Mark and Randy. The older Hardy opened the back door a minute later, laying Jeff across the seats as gently as he could. He cringed nervously when Jeff still gasped with pain and immediately wrapped his arms around his injured side protectively as he curled up a little.

"I'm sorry, Jeffro," Matt said quietly, placing his hand on his brother's chest comfortingly as it rose and feel quickly. "Just hang in there, okay, little bro?"

Jeff didn't answer for a moment, but then he nodded and wearily looked up at Matt. "No problem…"

Matt gave him a hopefully encouraging smile before he shut the door and quickly climbed in behind the wheel. Without a word, he started the car and began to speed in the direction of the hospital.

* * *

"We're lucky that you didn't get caught for speeding, Matt," Adam muttered teasingly, hoping to keep the mood light. "You certainly couldn't use the excuse that your brother was pregnant."

Matt smiled. "_Or_, we could have used it, and when the officer was stuck trying to figure that out, we could have sped away and not gotten caught."

Adam laughed at that thought. "That is true, my friend."

They were leaning against the wall right outside of Jeff's hospital room door, and both of them were concerned about the younger Hardy. But Adam knew that Matt also felt guilty about what had happened, which was why he was trying to distract him and keep him laughing for as long as possible. They just hoped they would hear something soon.

Almost in answer to silent prayer, the door opened then, and a man with graying hair and glasses stepped out into the hallway. "Family of Mr. Hardy?"

"Is my brother okay?" Matt asked immediately as he approached the doctor with Adam behind him.

The man appeared stunned for a moment at the sudden response, but he brushed it aside as he cleared his throat and looked down at his clipboard. "Your brother is a very lucky man, Mr. Hardy," he answered. "Though the bullet didn't actually stay in him, it went deep. Fortunately, it went through his side and missed any vital organs in that area. He lost a decent amount of blood, but he's stable. If you feel that he is ready, he may leave as soon as he wakes up."

"Wakes up?" Matt repeated. He wasn't sure if that was a good thing to hear.

The doctor sighed as he removed his glasses. "Mr. Hardy fought with us and made examination difficult," he said. "We had to give him a sedative in order to accomplish anything."

Matt laughed quietly as he shook his head. "Yeah, that sounds like Jeff," he muttered. "He never has liked hospitals."

"May we see him?" Adam wondered, making a mental note to ask about Jeff's dislike of anything hospital-related.

"Of course." The doctor gestured to the open door. "Go right on in."

"Thank you." Matt led the way into the room, relieved that the man wasn't following them, but he stopped and his expression saddened when he saw Jeff. His little brother was lying in the white sheets, appearing to be sleeping peacefully under the sedative's influence. He wasn't hooked up to a heart monitor or life support, which was a good thing, but he was still lying with his arm draped over his injured side, almost as if to keep it away from others. It was a crushing sight for the older Hardy as he slowly approached the bed, almost in a daze.

"Are you all right, Matt?" Adam asked quietly as he walked forward to stand next to him with concern.

Matt didn't answer immediately. He only continued to stare at Jeff in shock, watching his chest evenly rise and fall now as a thin line of tears formed in his dark eyes. "It should be me there, Adam," he whispered, hesitantly reaching forward and placing his hand lightly on his brother's arm. "Not him. It shouldn't be him…"

Adam bit his bottom lip. The older Hardy really was blaming himself for this, much more so than he thought. "Matt…"

"I'm the older brother, Adam," Matt interrupted as he blinked his tears away. "I'm supposed to be the one protecting him."

"Being brothers, that can go either way," Adam said with a sigh. "It's obvious that Jeff would give his life for you just as easily as you would for him."

Matt turned to Adam, almost in a studying way. "Oh, and I suppose you have a younger sibling," he muttered, a hint of anger in his voice. "I'm sure you know exactly what it feels like looking at your own little brother lying in a hospital bed when he shouldn't have to be!"

Adam looked back at him sadly. "Not a younger brother, no, but I did have a little cousin growing up that was like my sister," he replied softly as he looked back at the sleeping Jeff. "Her name is Ellie. We were best friends, much like you and Jeff are. When we were teenagers, I learned too late that I had gotten involved with the wrong group of people, and they didn't like that I wanted out. Ellie tried to stick up for me, but they ended up beating her instead. I tried to stop them, but I couldn't. It was then that the police showed up since my one real friend in that group had tipped them off. They all ran, leaving my cousin a mess behind them."

"Did… did she survive?" Matt wondered hesitantly.

"Yeah, she survived," Adam told him, appearing to be deep in thought. "She spent about a week in the hospital, and I was there the entire time. But even after she was released, I couldn't look at the bruises on her face and not know that each one was my fault. Even though I'm not the one who gave them to her, I knew it was because of me that she had them. So yes, Matt, I do know what it feels like for your younger sibling to be in the hospital when it should have been you. At least you know Jeff's going to be all right. I had to deal with my scars for months, Matt. _Months_!"

Matt was only able to stare at Adam with shock as he went on his Edge-like rant, not able to say a word. Finally, the Canadian sighed to calm himself down and ran his hand through his long blond hair. "I'm sorry," he muttered, not meeting the older Hardy's gaze. "I didn't mean to lose my temper."

"That's all right," Matt replied. "I understand."

Adam was silent for another long moment, staring blankly at the wall ahead of him before he turned back to Matt. "You mentioned that Jeff never liked hospitals," he said. "Why is that?"

Matt sighed as he looked down on the sleeping Jeff, placing his hand gently on top of his brother's purple hair. "Jeff was nine when our mother died of cancer," he explained quietly, his gaze remaining on the younger Hardy's peaceful gaze. "It's not easy for one so young to be there when the woman who loved you more than anything died in the hospital. It sticks with you. Jeff's been uncomfortable around or in them ever since."

"You were young too," Adam pointed out just as quietly, knowing that Matt was only three years older than Jeff.

"Yeah, well, hospitals have never been my favorite place either," Matt admitted with a slight smile as he looked at Adam. "But I always tried to be strong in front of Jeff. I never let him see me grieve, even though I realize now he knew I did, but I would never cry openly in front of him since he looked to be as being invincible. But, we grew up with the tough love of a father who told us we just had to move on, which I think helped Jeff a lot. Plus, it helped me keep my own feelings in check. But the memories are still there. I remember that day clearly, as I know Jeff does, and it doesn't surprise me at all that they had to sedate him. I'm just glad he's sleeping peacefully now."

Adam nodded in agreement, and neither man said anything for a long period of time as they merely watched Jeff. Finally, Adam sighed and checked the time on his cell phone. "I'm going to go wait for Mark and Randy in the lobby so they know where Jeff is," he muttered. "Will you be okay here by yourself?"

Matt simply nodded, not moving his dark eyes away from his brother's face. Adam sighed again, looking at both Hardys for a moment longer before he turned and left the room, closing the door behind him.

* * *

Beth sat curled up on the floor in the corner of the musty attic, pulling her knees closer to her chest as a few more tears fell from her eyes. She couldn't believe that Jeff could have been gone. He was her whole life, and now, he had been taken from her, just like that. It was unbearable. Even though they hadn't stuck around long enough to see whether or not he actually was dead, it was worse for her not knowing for sure since her mind, though her heart strongly willed against it, kept assuming the worst had happened.

Then, she gasped quietly when she heard a soft noise that she recognized to be the padlock on the door in the floor. The only benefit about being in this room now was that she wasn't tied to a chair and gagged anymore since it was impossible to open the door from the inside. Plus, all the fight that had been in her the first day was now gone and was replaced by a strange feeling of emptiness. She wouldn't be going anywhere anytime soon.

After a moment, the door was pushed open and Brittany poked her head through. "Hey, I brought something for you," she said, pulling herself up before reaching down and bringing a large object after her.

Beth felt her breath catch in her chest as she began to sob when she saw what it was. It was a life-size cardboard cutout of Jeff Hardy.

"What?" Brittany's eyes narrowed with confusion when she watched Beth tremble. "I thought this would help!"

"Oh, yeah, Brittany, this makes everything better," Beth muttered sarcastically once she was able to speak, wiping her fresh tears away. "The most important person in my life could have just been killed, and all I get is a cardboard cutout."

Brittany sighed. "I'm trying, okay?" she said with frustration as she set the Jeff cutout across the room from Beth before she knelt down in front of her. "I truly am sorry, Beth. I didn't think that would happen."

Beth felt a hollow laugh escape from her. "_You're_ sorry?" she demanded as she began to cry again. "What, would it have been okay if you shot Mat then?"

The younger girl didn't have anything to say in response to that. Instead, she sighed. "I'm not exactly sure what we're going to do with you now if Jeff isn't able to come," she told her quietly. "I'll have to talk to my father. I didn't plan for this…"

"Why don't you just end my misery and kill me too?" Beth asked in nearly a whisper. "Just like you killed Jeff." She still wasn't sure if Jeff was dead or alive, but her statement got the desired effect.

Brittany's face darkened with sorrow as tears filled her eyes. For the first time since she had been with her and her father, Beth had never seen her speechless before. "I brought you another pair of clothes in case you wanted to change," she muttered, offering her an orange t-shirt and a pair of jeans from under her arm. "We're pretty close in size, so they should fit."

Beth looked at the clothes she was holding out to her warily for a long moment before she slowly reached forward and took them. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." Then, without another word, Brittany got to her feet and started to climb down the metal ladder that led up to the attic, shutting and locking the door after her.

Sighing, Beth slowly stood up and changed into the clothes that Brittany had brought her, finding that they did fit almost perfectly. As she pulled her hair out from under the shirt, she gasped when she suddenly felt something cold against her chest. She pulled on the thin, silver chain around her neck, finding that there was a brass key on the end of it.

"_The key to my heart." _Beth could hear Jeff's quiet voice clearly in her mind. _"You're the only one who will ever have this. It belongs to you and you alone."_

Tears fell quickly from her eyes as Beth looked down at the key that fit perfectly in her palm. She had almost forgotten in all the commotion that she had put it on before they left for the airport. Now, she was glad she had since it might have been all of Jeff she had left…

Then, Beth looked up at the cardboard cutout of him standing across the room from her, and not really knowing why, she slowly walked over to it. As she drew nearer, she couldn't help but notice that it looked so much like her Jeff. It was painful to look at, but at the same time, it was almost comforting. Beth raised her hand and delicately ran her fingers over its cheek, its lips, her shoulders beginning to shake as a broken sob escaped from her.

"Jeffro… I love you so much…"

* * *

_"Don't hold me up now_

_I can stand my own ground_

_I don't need your help now…"_

Jeff slowly opened his eyes, wearily looking around the dark room. Where he was, he wasn't quite sure. The last thing he remembered was getting hit by a bullet, though it thankfully hadn't stayed in him, and fighting with an older man with glasses and a white coat before falling into a deep sleep. He hadn't even dreamed. But as he looked down at the bed he was in, Jeff felt nervous when he suddenly realized where he was. He was in the hospital.

He immediately tried to sit up, but he winced when a sharp pain in his side stopped him. Looking down, he saw that his entire torso had been wrapped up with a bandage from his injury. That would explain the pain. Now that he knew his limits, Jeff slowly moved the rest of the way up into a sitting position. He sighed and put his face into his hands, hating his situation. He knew where Beth was. He could have gone to save her, but instead, he was confined to a hospital bed. Besides, he couldn't really go anywhere since Matt or the others wouldn't take him. They didn't believe him that Beth was still in the apartment building, and they probably wouldn't go now with his new injury anyway.

_"I don't need your help now…"_

Or… was he stuck?

Jeff slowly lowered his hands and looked to his right, seeing that Matt was sleeping uncomfortably in a chair next to his bed. It had almost been his older brother that was lying in this bed, he knew. Or worse, he could have been six feet under. His older brother could have been killed because of Brittany. It was a thought he couldn't stand, but it was also one that made him fully realize that Matt or Adam or Randy or Mark couldn't be involved anymore. It was too dangerous, and he knew he wouldn't be able to live with himself if something happened to any of them. This was his fight.

Making up his mind in that short instant, Jeff carefully pushed himself out of bed so he wouldn't hurt his side, being as quiet as he could so he wouldn't wake his sleeping brother. He changed into his jeans and the fresh t-shirt that had been left for him before slowly approaching the counter. He was lucky- the keys to the rental car were sitting right on it. The younger Hardy slowly picked them up and put them in his pocket so they wouldn't make much noise, and then he took a pen and a sheet of paper from the clipboard the doctor had left. In the soft light that was coming in from the moon, he wrote a quick message to his brother.

_I love you._

It was a phrase that hardly passed verbally between them, but it was one that was already known. Jeff sighed putting the pen back and leaving the paper in the place where the keys were before turning back to look at the older Hardy. He slowly walked over to him, relieved to see that he was still sleeping.

"I'm sorry, Matt," Jeff whispered sadly. He felt guilty about what he was going to do, but it had to be done.

Matt shifted a little in his sleep, but he fortunately didn't wake up.

Jeff sighed, watching his older brother for a moment longer before turning and leaving the room, closing the door behind him. He looked up and down the empty hallway, following the signs that led him down to the lobby from the fifth floor. But, he stopped when he saw that a receptionist was still behind the desk in the dark room, using a small lamp to read a book. There was no way that he was going to get past her. Jeff looked around the lobby, trying to see if there was another possibility, but his heart dropped when he saw that Mark, Randy, and Adam were sleeping on cots near the door. This wasn't going to be easy. He would have to find another way out of the hospital.

But then, almost in answer to silent prayer, a security guard approached the receptionist at the desk. From where he was crouched in the shadows, Jeff heard him ask her if she would like to get some coffee with him, and he watched as she stood up and led him through a door behind her. He sighed with relief once the door shut after them, knowing that this was his opportunity. Without wasting another moment, the younger Hardy hurried across the lobby and past his sleeping friends as he pushed the door open and ran out into the cool night air.

Finally finding their rental car because of the damaged front end, Jeff unlocked it and climbed in behind the wheel. As he started the care after adjusting everything, he sighed since that guilty feeling was once again making its presence known because of the worry he was going to be putting Matt through, but this was the way it had to be since he couldn't stand it if his brother was hurt. He wouldn't let Brittany do that.

That feeling was then replaced with determination, and Jeff backed out of the parking spot before leaving the lot, hoping that he was driving in the right direction to find the apartment building.

_Hold on, Beth. I'm coming._

**Author's Note**: Again, I hate to be brief, but I have really limited time here. Okay, so Jeff's now going off on his own. That can't be good… You'll have to find out what happens! Thanks for reading! Your reviews are much appreciated. This chapter is in honor of Jeff Hardy's last night and hopeful eventual return to the WWE.


	12. Don't Tell Me What Love Can Do

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing associated with the WWE.

**Author's Note**: Okay, I admit. Smackdown was pretty sad last night. The funny thing was, my mom and I were prepping ourselves for it to be so much worse than it actually was. I mean, that speech he gave made me feel better. It seems like Jeff's just taking some time off to recover and pursue some other things he wants to do, and then he'll come back when "the time is right." And it definitely sounds like he wants to give Matt some time to shine. So, that's a good thing. That made me feel better, I'm not sure about any of you. But, guys, you absolutely rock! Thank you so, so much for all of your reviews! They're all awesome! **The hardy boyz lover**, **- .I .Dream .of .Hardyz.-**, **Expect-the-Unexpected75**, **xOallisonqtOx**, **BubblyShell22**, **Graelam**, and **traceyh79** (You have no idea how much I appreciate your reviews! I can post some pictures on my profile if that will help any!), you guys are all amazing! Love you guys! Here's the next chapter! I'm not actually so short on time this time, lol.

Chapter 12- Don't Tell Me What Love Can Do

**Artist**: _Van Halen_

He wasn't sure what woke him, but Matt suddenly felt his eyes quickly open. He groaned quietly and rubbed his tired eyes, taking a deep breath as he stretched a little. He wasn't sure why he had woken up so abruptly. Something just felt off to him.

Matt leaned forward in the chair, yawning, so he could check on Jeff. In truth, he was worried about his brother. The doctor had told him before he dozed off that he had only given him a mild sedative. He should have woken up by now.

But when his eyes adjusted to the darkness of the room, his anxiety spiked as his eyes widened with fear.

Jeff was gone.

Matt immediately jumped out of the chair and looked wildly around the room. "Jeff!" he shouted. "_Jeff_!" He wasn't sure why he was yelling when he knew it wouldn't do any good. This wasn't some game. Jeff was really gone.

Then, his frantic gaze moved to the counter where he had set the keys to the rental car, and he sighed heavily when he saw that those were missing. He was going to wring his brother's neck when he found him. But then, his eyes narrowed with confusion when he saw a sheet of paper where the keys had once been, and he slowly walked to the counter and picked it up.

When he was able to read his brother's quick handwriting in the dim light, his heart nearly stopped as all of the anger left him.

_I love you._

It was a phrase that they didn't say to each other often, and the fact that Jeff had written it down before he left made him extremely nervous. Something was wrong. Holding the paper tightly in his hand, Matt raced out of the room to tell his sleeping friends in the lobby, slamming the door behind him as he pulled out his cell phone.

* * *

Shannon Moore groggily raised his head off his pillow when he heard a loud, annoying sound near his head, and after a moment, he realized that it was his cell phone ringing. He blindly reached for it in the darkness, finally finding it and lifting it off the small table by his side of the bed. Squinting at the small print, he saw that it was Matt Hardy calling him. With a heavy sigh, he flipped it open and brought it to his ear before laying his head back down.

"Hello?" he mumbled, his face half buried in the pillow as he hoped the commotion hadn't woken Julie.

"_Oh, good, Shan, you're awake,_" Matt said immediately.

"Does it _sound_ like I'm awake to you?" Shannon muttered, trying to keep his voice quiet so he wouldn't wake his wife. "Look, Man, I don't know what time it is in L.A., but it's three in the fucking morning here in Whispering Pines. This had better be good, or I swear, you're in deep shit."

"_Jeff's gone, Shan._"

This statement caught Shannon's attention. "What do you mean he's _gone_?" he asked as he propped himself up on the bed with his other arm. Last time Matt had called, he had informed him that the younger Hardy was in the hospital. He was starting to feel a bit nervous. There was more than one meaning for the term "gone."

Matt sighed on the other end. "_I mean he's missing from the hospital, Man,_" he answered, trying not to lose his temper with his younger friend. "_The car keys are gone…_"

Shannon sat up completely, covering his eyes with his fingers. "Hold up, Man," he muttered, relieved that it hadn't been something worse. "If the car keys are gone too, that means that Jeff left on his own accord. He wasn't taken by force."

"_I know, but that's what concerns me,_" Matt told him. "_Jeff's been acting very strange lately, and I'm concerned about what he might do._"

"Matt, his girlfriend of ten years is in danger. Of _course_ he's going to act strange."

The older Hardy sighed. "_I mean he's been acting even stranger than that,_" he explained. "_He hasn't been talking to us or anything, and he's been very distant._"

Shannon slowly lowered his hand. "Jeff told me that he felt like he was alone since you don't believe him about Beth," he muttered hesitantly.

There was a stunned pause on the other end, which he had expected. "_Alone?_" Matt repeated quietly. "_When did he tell you that?_"

"He told me before he fell asleep last night," Shannon replied. "You were already sleeping of course, but he said he needed someone to talk to. Don't worry, I gave him the same initial threat too. But that's probably one reason why he suddenly went off by himself. The other is that he probably didn't want anyone else getting hurt. I mean, Randy got attacked and you nearly got shot. You know how Jeff is. He probably didn't want that to happen to anyone else."

"_Oh, shit…_"

"That didn't make you feel any better, I take it," Shannon muttered.

"_No, not at all,_" Matt confirmed.

Shannon sighed, glancing back at the surprisingly still sleeping Julie behind him before looking at the clock on the small table. "If I were to catch the next flight to L.A., would you be able to meet me at the airport?" he wondered.

"_Are you really thinking of flying out here now?_" Matt was startled by the proposition.

"Well, yeah. Someone's gotta' help you morons out," Shannon said. "I'm worried about them too. Besides, it wouldn't be the first time I've had to randomly fly this late before. It's actually one of the best times to travel. Not too busy."

"_Your help would be greatly appreciated, Shan,_" Matt muttered. "_But now, we don't have a rental car anymore since Jeff took it, so… Wait. Hold on._" There was a pause, and Shannon heard someone else talking in the background, but he couldn't make out what they were saying. "_Okay, Randy's going to call a taxi, so we'll be able to get you when you land._"

"Great. I'll give you a call when I get there."

"_Okay. Thank you so much, Shan. This means a lot._"

"No problem." Shannon smiled slightly. "I'm up now anyway. I'll see you in a few hours."

"_See you in a few hours. Bye, Shan._"

"Bye, Matt." Shannon flipped his phone shut and set it on the table, sighing as he put his head in his hands. He had been in bad situations before, but this was the worst. Beth was in the hands of two psychopaths, and Jeff had decided to play the Lone Ranger and had gone off by himself, probably to try to save her on his own. Two people he cared for deeply were in danger, and he would feel terrible if something happened to them while he just sat at home doing nothing. He wanted to help out somehow.

"Fuck…" he whispered as he got to his feet, the stress of the whole situation getting to him. Shannon sighed and laid his forehead against the wall, fighting the urge to pound it with his fist. After all, he didn't want to wake Julie until he had to tell her that he was leaving to go across the country.

Shannon then went to his closet once he calmed down and changed into a pair of jeans and a t-shirt before grabbing a backpack and put a couple of outfits in it before putting his cell phone in his pocket. He wasn't sure how long he was going to be in California, but he wanted to be prepared just in case.

"What are you doing, Shan? It's after three in the morning…"

At the sound of the quiet question, Shannon turned around and saw that Julie was now sitting up, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes as she looked up at him with confusion. Sighing, Shannon set his backpack down and crossed the room, sitting down on the bed next to her and pulling his wife into his arms. "Matt called, and there have been some complications with the whole Beth thing," he told her, placing his chin on top of her head. "I'm going to fly out to California to try to help them out a bit."

"Oh, my God. Is everyone okay?" Julie wondered nervously, very concerned about her friends as well.

Shannon kissed her forehead reassuringly. "Yeah, they're fine," he replied. "Jeff just decided that it would be best to go off on his own, so Matt's freaked. But, everyone's okay, as far as I know."

Julie breathed a sigh of relief. "How long are you going to be gone so I can tell Gas Chamber Ink?" she asked, running her fingers lightly over her husband's face.

"As long as it takes to find my dumbass friends in Los Angeles," Shannon answered with a smile, catching her fingers and kissing them before kissing her lips. "I love you."

"I love you too," Julie muttered, tightening her hand around his. "Keep me updated, okay?"

"Of course." Shannon gently kissed her again before he stood up. "I've gotta' get to the airport as soon as possible so I can get to L.A. before Matt kills someone."

Julie laughed a little as she stood up too, wrapping her arms around Shannon as he wound his arms around her waist and pulled her close. "Be careful, okay?" she whispered, lightly placing her forehead against his.

"Come on, Julie," Shannon replied with a grin. "Aren't I always?"

Before she could reply, Shannon met her lips in another kiss that was more intense than the last two. He reluctantly broke it after a moment before he pulled away from her, grabbing his backpack from the floor and quickly leaving the room.

Julie sighed as she sat back down on the bed, her gaze moving to a framed picture that was sitting on the small desk next to her. She slowly reached over and picked it up, looking at it sadly in the soft moonlight filtering in through the window. It was her favorite picture of her and Shannon, not to mention one of the few where he wasn't giving the camera the middle finger. They were sitting outside of Gas Chamber Ink, Shannon's tattoo parlor, her head resting on his shoulder as he held her in his arms. They were both smiling broadly. She remembered that day clearly. That had been the day she got her first tattoo from his shop. It was a memory she would always treasure.

"Yes, Shan," Julie said to herself as she continued to stare down at the picture she held tightly in her hands. "That's what I'm concerned about."

* * *

It had taken him a bit longer to find the apartment building than the other two times he had been there, but Jeff finally found himself standing outside and looking up at the five-story apartment building. Beth was in there somewhere, he knew. He just wasn't sure where.

Jeff sighed when his phone began to ring again, wishing that it wasn't Matt's ringtone he heard. This wasn't the first time his brother had tried calling him. He had actually lost count of how many times the older Hardy had tried calling during his drive, and he chose not to answer. He was going to have a hell of a time going through all of the messages he left. Quickly making up his mind, Jeff pulled his phone out, looking at Matt's blinking name on the screen for a moment before he guiltily turned it off. He didn't want any disturbances.

Then, the younger Hardy put his phone back in his pocket before opening the door and stepping into the apartment building. He looked around the dimly lit hallway warily as he went up the stairs to the second floor, not quite sure where to begin. Jeff knew that Brittany's apartment was abandoned since they had searched the whole thing carefully when he was there with Matt and Adam. He wasn't quite sure where to even start now.

Suddenly, Jeff heard heavy footsteps behind him, and he quickly turned around just in time to see something coming at his head. He was instantly glad for his wrestling instincts as he ducked to avoid the object and got behind his assailant, but the man was quick. He threw his foot back in a forceful kick, landing it right on the younger Hardy's injured side. Jeff cried out in pain, covering his side protectively as he dropped to his knees. He grunted when the object, which he now knew was an iron bar, hit his back, and he fell to the floor. Another benefit about being a wrestler was that his body could withstand a lot of physical punishment, but the wind had been completely knocked out of him in that kick.

Then, he gasped when a hand roughly grabbed his hair and yanked his head up forcefully, and Jeff found himself looking into the deranged face of Eric Howe. He was filled with a sense of fear for the first time since he had arrived as he looked into the man's mad eyes. What was going to happen to him?

"Father, stop!"

Never had he been so relieved to hear that voice. Jeff winced when his head was pushed roughly back to the ground, and he watched as Brittany hurriedly approached them. Eric backed away from him with disappointment as his daughter knelt down beside Jeff, gently helping up him to a sitting position.

"It's good to see you alive," Brittany said with a smile.

Jeff looked back at her for a long moment as he tried to catch his breath, not surprised by her kindness. After all, it was him she wanted. But that wasn't his main concern at the moment. "Where's Beth?" he asked once he was able to speak.

Brittany's face saddened at the question. "Of course you would ask about her," she muttered, lowering her gaze from his. "She'll be glad that you're alive too."

"Where is she, Brittany?" Jeff repeated firmly. Did this girl really believe that he would just forget about Beth if she were gone for a little while? If that was the case, she was truly an idiot.

Finally, Brittany looked back up at him, and he was startled to see a thin line of tears in her eyes. "I'll bring you to her," she told him quietly. "You'll have a few minutes together, but then you and I have to talk."

Jeff nodded, a great feeling of relief swarming through him. At least he would be able to see Beth again, no matter how short of a time it would be. Brittany sighed as she slowly got to her feet and started to climb the staircase to the third floor. Jeff got up and quickly went after her, not wanting to be left behind, especially with her father. They walked in silence up to the fourth floor, and the younger Hardy was surprised to see that there wasn't another staircase. He thought that there had been five stories in the building.

Then, Jeff understood when he saw a metal ladder that led up to a square-shaped door in the ceiling. That's why they hadn't found Beth last time they were there. That ladder hadn't been there to direct them to the attic.

Brittany sighed as she climbed the ladder, pulling out a key from beneath her shirt and unlocking the padlock that kept the door shut before she pushed it up and opened it. Then, she disappeared through. Jeff stood at the base of the ladder, unsure if he should climb it at that moment even though the urge to do so was very strong. Just to play it safe, he decided to suffer in silence and wait for Brittany to call him up since he didn't want to make her angry.

She found Beth sitting on the floor next to the cardboard cutout she had given her earlier, staring blankly at something that was resting in her hand. "Beth, someone's here to see you," Brittany said gently.

Beth slowly looked up at her with confusion. "Who?" she asked in nearly a whisper as she released the brass key. No one knew she was there. There was only one person she could think of that it could be, but she didn't want to get her hopes up too high.

Brittany gave her a sad smile as she looked down through the door, gesturing for the person to climb up. Beth watched the door intently, and a great weight seemed to leave her chest as tears fell from her eyes when she saw the person's face. "Beth," he muttered as he climbed all the way through into the attic.

Beth immediately got to her feet and ran over to Jeff, throwing her arms around him as soon as he was standing. Jeff winced in pain when his side hurt from the pressure, and Beth gasped as she instantly released him. But the younger Hardy wrapped her in his arms tightly and pulled her close to him anyway. He would endure the pain as long as it meant he could hold her again.

"Jeffro…" Beth whispered through her tears as she clung to him tightly, her face in his chest. Something inside of her told her that it wasn't a good thing that he was here, but at that moment, she didn't care. All she cared about was that she was in his arms again.

"I'm here, Beth," Jeff told her quietly, putting his face in her hair as he kissed her cheek. He could feel tears rushing to his own eyes, and a few of them leaked out as he placed his hand on top of her head. "It's okay now. Everything's going to be all right. I promise."

Beth laughed a little as another sob escaped from her. She raised her head off his chest, tilting his face down so she could meet Jeff's lips in a kiss. Their softness was calming to her, their tenderness bringing a feeling of relief. It was almost as though she was home again in the tattooed arms of the man she loved more than anything else in the world.

Jeff gently brushed some of her hair out of her tear-stained face before he kissed her again with more intensity. His arms tightened around Beth, holding her in place, so he wouldn't have to let go of her again, at least for those few minutes. He felt Beth's arms tighten around him also, having no intention of releasing him either. This was exactly where he belonged- held securely in her arms.

Brittany sighed as she watched them sadly for a moment. They looked so happy together it broke her heart. Would she ever feel that kind of love, that happiness? She sure hoped so. But realizing that she should give them their few minutes together, she sighed again as she climbed down the ladder, shutting and locking the door behind her.

* * *

"He turned his phone off," Matt muttered with worry as he put his own cell phone back in his pocket. The other times he had called, it rang, but now, he was immediately met with his brother's voicemail. "Ah, this is impossible…"

Mark sighed as he looked at the older Hardy. The two of them were standing outside the hospital while Randy and Adam tried to find as many ways of transportation as they could for that time of night so they could try to find Jeff and pick up Shannon once he landed at the airport. "Maybe he went on his own because he felt like none of us, especially you, believed him, Matt," he suggested quietly. "You're his older brother. He needed your support more than any of ours."

Matt looked back at the older man. Shannon had said something similar when they had last talked, and it was painful to hear it be said again. "It… it just doesn't seem possible that Beth is where he claims she is," he said, a lost and defeated expression in his dark eyes. "It doesn't…"

"Jeff knows Brittany better than we do," Mark told him. "There had to be a reason why he was so confident she was there. We just don't see it. Could you find this place again if you tried?"

"Yeah, I think so," Matt replied as he ran his hand through his dark hair. "Why?"

Mark sighed. "Because I think it's worth looking into."

* * *

Brittany looked at Jeff, who sat on the floor across from her in the dim hallway. Since he and Beth were going to be kept in the same place, her father had decided to tie his hands together, as well as Beth's, so they couldn't try anything. And Jeff was a wrestler, which meant he could do a lot of damage if given the opportunity. It was a chance he didn't want to take.

"So, you decided to come," Brittany muttered without feeling as she played with her shoelaces.

Jeff nodded. "All I want is for Beth to leave here safely," he told her quietly but firmly.

Brittany looked up at him with interest. "And just what are you willing to do in return for her freedom?" she asked.

"Anything in my power," Jeff answered, his gaze intent and his voice steady. It was true. If he could do it, he would. It didn't matter what it was, as long as Beth was safe.

"You know my condition."

Jeff sighed. "Brittany, listen to me," he muttered, trying to keep his tone kind. After all, he was dealing with an unstable girl, one that had never really felt love. He had to be careful. "My love is something that I can't just give you. It's not something that I can lightly throw around. Love is one of the strongest bonds between two people. And what you feel toward me probably really isn't love, and-!"

"Don't tell me about love!" Brittany snapped, and Jeff jumped, caught off guard by her sudden intensity. After a minute, she sighed and ran a hand through her blonde hair. "I'm sorry, Jeff. I didn't mean to lose my patience."

"That's all right." Jeff looked at the girl warily, knowing that he was going to have to proceed very carefully from now on.

Brittany moved her gaze to his eyes. "Would you even die for her, Jeff?" she wondered in nearly a whisper. She had heard of many accounts where someone had died to protect their significant other since they loved them even more than their own life, and she wondered if the bond between Jeff and Beth was that strong. If it was, then she knew it probably wouldn't be changed.

Jeff was startled by the question. It was one that he had never thought about before, but it was one that didn't require much consideration. "Yes," he told her. "If it meant that she would be safe."

The answer made everything clear for Brittany, and she slowly nodded. She now understood that Jeff couldn't love her if Beth was around. But she didn't know what to say. Jeff knew her condition, and it seemed like she wouldn't be able to get him to meet it. She guessed it was true that Beth was the only woman he would ever want.

"Did your father ever tell you he loved you?"

Brittany was caught off guard by his sudden question. "He loves me," she muttered almost robotically, not able to meet his gaze.

"You didn't answer my question, Brittany," Jeff said gently, remembering what Matt had told him about this girl. "Did he ever _tell_ you he loved you?"

The younger girl wasn't able to say anything in response. Finally, after a long moment, she looked back up at him, her gaze hard but her expression sad. "Just leave." She was obviously done talking.

Eric Howe, who was waiting at the other end of the hallway, approached them when he heard his daughter's order, pulling Jeff up roughly by the arm and shoving him in the direction of the ladder. Brittany watched as he climbed up with some difficulty since his hands were tied together, and once he disappeared from sight into the attic and the door was shut and locked by her father, she pulled her knees close to her chest and started to cry.

**Author's Note**: You didn't think I would be leaving Shannon out of the rest of this story, did you? Lol. And things should prove interesting now that Brittany knows Jeff can't follow her condition. Can't be good for him and Beth… But, find out what happens next time! Thanks for reading, guys. Your reviews are much appreciated. Thank you!


	13. Inside the Fire

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing associated with the WWE.

**Author's Note**: Hey! Sorry that I didn't update yesterday, but Sunday is the one day I can't update. But, thank you so much for your reviews! **Expect-the-Unexpected75**, **- .I .Dream .of .Hardyz.-**, **xOallisonqtOx**, **Cheryl**, **dumwolf16**, **BubblyShell22**, **ponygirl-loves-mcqueen**, **traceyh79**, and **the hardy boyz lover**, you guys all rock! I hope you enjoy this chapter! It's actually one of my favorites, one I like to call the "climax chapter." Who will survive this ordeal? You're about to find out!

Chapter 13- Inside the Fire

**Artist**: _Disturbed_

Jeff sat back against the wall in the dark attic, Beth leaning against his chest. He couldn't quite hold her the way he wanted to since his hands were tied together, but at least he was able to have her in his arms. That was the best feeling of all.

"So, what's going to happen now?" Beth asked quietly, lightly running her fingers up and down the winding roots tattooed on his right arm.

"I don't know," Jeff answered just as quietly, lightly kissing the top of her head. "But the important thing is we're together now. Everything's going to be all right."

"I don't see how, Jeffro," Beth muttered as tears formed in her eyes, burying her face into the crook of Jeff's neck. "I don't see how we're going to be able to stay together now. I don't want her to take you from me…"

"Shh…" Jeff tried to comfort her as he placed his cheek on top of her hair when she began to cry. "Shh, it's okay." At least, he hoped it would be. He wasn't sure how things were going to end up for them now since Brittany knew he couldn't follow her condition, but he had to find some way to calm her down. She needed to relax at least for a little while so she could get some sleep. She desperately needed it.

"I could stay awake, just to hear you breathing…"

Beth looked up at him curiously when she heard Jeff begin to quietly sing a song she knew well, and she found she felt comforted by his voice. Realizing this had the desired effect, Jeff continued.

"Watch you smile while you are sleeping, while you're far away and dreaming…"

She took a deep breath as she snuggled into Jeff's chest and closed her eyes, relaxing against his body. Though she was still really scared about what was going to happen to them now, in that moment, she felt peaceful. She allowed the calming tones of Jeff's voice to surround her, allowing them to begin to lull her into sleep.

"I could spend my life in this sweet surrender, I could stay lost in this moment forever…"

Forever… just her and him. That sounded like the best thing in the world. Right now, Beth didn't care that they were trapped in an attic by two psychopaths that were probably going to kill her. All that mattered to her was that she was in Jeff's sturdy arms, which was right where she was supposed to be.

"Every moment spent with you is a moment I treasure…"

Jeff slowly stopped singing when he could tell by Beth's steady, even breathing that she had fallen asleep. He sighed with relief, burying her face in her hair. She desperately needed the rest, so he was glad she was getting it. And it was such a great relief to him that he was just able to hold her, even if it was just for that one night. Even if it was just for one night, he was able to protect her from the danger around them. At least she would be his for one more night.

_"I just wanna' be with you _

_Right here with you just like this _

_I just wanna' hold you close _

_I feel your heart so close to mine _

_And just stay here in this moment For all the rest of time…"_

* * *

"Well, we've got a few different taxis that will be willing to take us whenever we need to go," Randy muttered as he flipped his phone closed. "That's a good thing."

"Yeah, but the only thing is that we can't fit us all in one taxi, especially when Shannon arrives soon," Matt replied, running his hand through his dark curls. He was under so much stress with Jeff being gone and not being able to reach him. There was a bad feeling inside of him that told him something was really wrong. And the fact that the sun was now beginning to rise since it had already been a few hours since his brother disappeared didn't make him feel any better.

"If you have any better ideas, I'd love to hear them," Randy snapped as he got to his feet to face the older Hardy. "What do you expect me to do, magically get us a mini-van or something?"

Matt glared back at him, but before he could say anything, the receptionist that had been working the night shift when Jeff had left and kept giving them free coffee approached them. "I can't help but… overhear your dilemma," she muttered with embarrassment. "Since I can see that it's an emergency and you're really concerned about your brother, I was wondering if you would like to borrow my car. That way, you would be able to travel together, even with your other friend that's coming."

"I couldn't take your car, ma'am…" Matt began hesitantly.

"Oh, but it's the least I can do, Mr. Hardy," the woman said as she handed the keys over. "How are you going to get your brother back otherwise?"

Matt sighed as he reluctantly put the keys in his pocket. She had a point. At least this way, they could stay together and still pick up Shannon before they searched for Jeff. That made him feel a bit better. "There's your answer," he told Randy with a smirk, who shook his head and laughed a little. Sometimes, there were benefits to being a wrestler.

Then, Matt's cell phone went off, and he quickly pulled it out of his pocket. It wasn't his brother's ringtone as he had hoped, but it was just as good. "Hello?"

"_Hey, Matt,_" Shannon said cheerfully on the other line. "_I'm finally at the airport. Are you guys able to pick me up?_"

"Yeah, we'll be there," Matt told him with a sigh. "And then, we're going to go find an apartment building."

He just hoped they were going to the right place.

* * *

Jeff slowly opened his eyes when he heard the loud sound of the door in the floor being opened, and he watched with mounting dread as Eric Howe climbed into the attic with Brittany close behind him. Beth stirred in his arms, and he tightened his hold around her as she whimpered with fear when she saw them. Eric reached down toward her, but Jeff put himself in front of Beth so the man's hand roughly grabbed his injured shoulder instead. He bit back a scream, and Beth kissed his lips quickly before she looked up at the man towering above them nervously. Frustrated, Eric lunged his foot out forcefully, watching with sick satisfaction when it connected with the younger Hardy's side. This time, Jeff cried out in pain.

Then, Beth screamed when Eric grabbed her ankle, yanking her out from under the protection of Jeff's arms. Jeff instinctively reached down and grabbed her hands to keep her from going any farther, though his body greatly protested to the action. He didn't care about the pain. Seeing the fearful tears in Beth's eyes drove him to keep going. He wasn't going to let her be taken by these freaks. However, Eric forcefully kicked him in his throbbing side again, and Jeff cried out as he was forced to let go.

"No, Jeff!"

Eric effortlessly lifted Beth off the ground and put her over his shoulder, but Jeff still had some fight left in him. As the man turned and began to walk away with her, the younger Hardy lunged his foot into the back of his knees. Eric fell to the wooden floor with Beth, and Jeff watched nervously as she screamed when she hit her head on the ground. But at least she was still conscious.

Beth forgotten, Eric got to his feet and angrily approached Jeff, kicking his side a few times until he couldn't even muster the strength to scream again. Jeff curled in on himself protectively, trying to keep away from the other man's relentless strikes.

While this was happening, Brittany approached the dazed Beth and lifted her to her feet. She had to be supported, but she was still able to bring her over to the door. "Father, come on."

Eric looked down at Jeff for a long moment before he finally turned to his daughter and hurriedly climbed down the ladder before her.

"Where… where are you going with Beth?" Jeff gasped, watching anxiously as his girlfriend was lowered down through the door.

Brittany straightened up to look at Jeff once Beth was safely down, her expression sad. But there was another expression that Jeff had never seen before- resignation. "I'm sorry, Jeff," she muttered. "But if you can't be mine, you can't be anyone's."

Jeff felt dread flood through him at her statement. "What are you going to do to her?" he demanded as he tried to sit up, fueled by pure adrenaline. But the pain in his side was too intense, and he was forced to lie back down. He watched as Brittany slowly approached him and knelt down in front of him, and he couldn't back away from her since he was against the wall. She then leaned down, gently tilted his face up, and met his lips in a kiss. Jeff tried to pull away, but her hold was too strong, so he had to endure it until she broke it.

"I would be more worried about yourself," Brittany told him without emotion as she got to her feet and climbed down the ladder before closing, but not locking, the door behind her.

Himself? How could he be worried about himself when they were taking the love of his life away from him? Jeff wasn't quite sure what Brittany had meant, but he knew that he had to try to get out of there and save Beth. Fighting through the pain he was feeling, the younger Hardy began to pull himself along the floor in the direction of the door since his side wouldn't allow him to sit up. He didn't care about the toll it took on his body- he was going to go after her.

But then, Jeff froze when a familiar smell reached him. It was one that made him feel sick. With a heavy heart, he realized that Brittany and her father had started a fire.

* * *

Brittany led Beth along as she ran down the staircase to the third floor, having to stop for a moment when the older girl stumbled and nearly fell. She looked back up the stairs at where her father still was, watching as he took out his lighter. "Hurry up," she said impatiently. "We have to go."

"I will, but I'm going to make sure my job is done," Eric replied. "No one hurts you, Britt. Get that girl out of here. I'm going to start a fire on each floor so it spreads to the attic and he won't be able to escape. We'll take care of her when I get out here."

Beth's eyes widened with fear when she heard his statement. "No, you can't!" she protested anxiously as she tried to fight out of Brittany's grasp. "No, please! _Jeff_!"

Brittany sighed heavily, pulling forcefully on Beth's arm as she ran down the stairs while she tried to fight with her. It took a while due to Beth's struggling, but Brittany finally opened the main door and pushed her out into the cool, early morning air. Beth fell to the ground since she couldn't catch herself due to her hands being tied together, and she cried out in pain when the burnt part of her right forearm scraped against the cement, her head still pounding from the fall in the attic. Jeff was now the one in danger, and she helplessly realized that there was nothing she could do to save him…

"Come on, we need to go," Brittany told her gently as she knelt down next to her.

"No! Get away from me! I'm not going anywhere!" Beth snapped fiercely as she rolled away from the girl, glaring up at her through tear-filled eyes. "Jeff's still in there. I'm not leaving him!"

Brittany looked down at her sadly, not understanding Beth's determination not to leave. This was her one and only chance to escape since her father wasn't around, and she herself couldn't fight if it came down to it, but she wasn't taking this chance. She remembered Jeff saying that he would give his life to save Beth. Would she do the same for him?

But before she could contemplate the depth of their relationship any further, a dark shadow fell over both of them. Brittany slowly looked up, and she screamed with fear.

* * *

Jeff lay on the wooden floor, still trying to inch his way over to the door. Even though the pain in his side was intense, he knew that he would do everything he had to do to save Beth. He wouldn't let those freaks hurt her, even if it took his last breath.

Smoke had started to filter into the small room through the cracks in the floor, and Jeff coughed forcefully as it entered his lungs. His head was spinning. His stomach was churning. But the only thought on his mind was saving Beth, and that was exactly what he was going to do.

Then, some sparks from the fire beneath him came through, staring a small fire a short distance ahead of him. Jeff watched with mounting dread as it grew larger, realizing that he was trapped now. He hadn't expected this. If he had, he would have told Matt where he was going. That way, they could have still saved Beth even if it was too late for him now…

It was difficult to breathe. His head was pounding. But yet, Jeff smiled slightly when he saw Beth's beautiful face smiling down at him, almost able to feel her fingers run tenderly over his cheek. He closed his eyes at her touch, not mattering how unreal it was. It was still a calming feeling. Her face was the last thing he saw before darkness closed in on him as his head hit the floor, just as the door crashed open in front of him.

* * *

Eric Howe watched as the fire he had started on the fourth floor began to spread, making its way up through the cracks into the attic. The man up there had hurt his daughter, and he wasn't going to get away with it. Plus, it had been years since he had experienced the rush of taking another life, and this would give him what he needed. His next victim would be that girl who was now with Brittany. He had some pins saved just for her pretty little face.

But, his job still had to be done, and for that to happen, he had to set a fire on the rest of the floors in case Jeff was somehow able to escape from the attic. Eric turned around, ready to head down to the third floor, but he grunted in surprise when a fist suddenly collided forcefully with his jaw. The lighter fell from his hand as he stumbled back in shock, screaming when a foot to his side brought him down to his knees. He gasped when an arm then wound around the front part of his neck, beginning to cut off his oxygen.

"Where is my little brother, you bastard?" a voice demanded fiercely.

Eric looked up at his assailant, seeing that it was a man with dark, curly hair that was tied back behind his head and had piercing dark eyes. Even though he looked furious, Eric laughed. "Wouldn't you like to know?" he muttered with a smile.

Matt Hardy growled angrily, tightening his arm around the man's neck as he pushed his knee into his lower back. The man cried out with pain. "Where is he?!" He was frustrated when he still refused to say a word.

While Matt continued the pressure, another man with blond hair that was also tied back behind his head knelt down in front of Eric. "Don't make him ask you again," Shannon Moore told him threateningly. "Where is Jeff Hardy?"

Eric continued to struggle in Matt's sleeper hold for a moment before he gave up. "All right, all right," he gasped as he pointed to the ladder. "He's up there. But you're probably too late to save him now…"

Matt's heart raced anxiously when he saw the flames surrounding the ladder, and he roughly pushed Eric to the floor, where he lay gasping for breath. "For your sake, you had better hope he's alive," he muttered before he started to run toward the other end of the hallway. Shannon kicked Eric in the lower back where the older Hardy had been applying the pressure before following one of his best friends. Not even seeming to notice the fire, Matt immediately began to climb the ladder and quickly pushed open the door above him with a crash, pushing himself into the attic while Shannon waited at the bottom so they could get the younger Hardy safely down… if they were in time to save him.

"Jeff!" Matt shouted worriedly as he looked around the flaming attic, having to cover his mouth and nose protectively because of the smoke burning his throat. "_Jeff_!" He was startled when he heard a quiet groan at his feet, and he looked down at the floor.

His younger brother was lying near him, separated by a wall of fire, and he was barely holding onto his consciousness as he slowly tried to push himself away from the intense heat. "Jeff!" Matt found a way around the fire keeping him from the younger Hardy, and he immediately knelt down next to him. He was angered to see that his hands were tied together, but the ropes had been singed enough by being close to the flames that it was easy enough to take them off. "Come on, little bro, don't give up on me!"

At the sound of the familiar voice, Jeff slowly opened his eyes and looked up at him, his gaze weary. "Matt…"

Matt smiled down on him, feeling tears rush to his eyes as he gently put his hand on the younger man's back. "Yes, Jeffro. I'm here," he told him. "I'm going to get you out of here."

Jeff seemed to calm down once he realized that he wasn't just seeing things, but then an anxious glint appeared in his eyes again as he tensed up. "Beth…"

"She's fine, Man," Matt assured him with a smile. "The extent of her injuries is a burnt and scraped arm and a headache. Randy and Adam are with her while Mark keeps a close eye on Brittany. I think he traumatized her when he rolled his eyes back into his head…"

"Good." Jeff felt like he could finally rest easy knowing that Beth was safe, and his eyes slowly closed again.

"Hold on, Jeffro." Matt carefully but quickly lifted Jeff into his arms, avoiding the flames as he made his way back to the door and called down, "Shan, help me lower him down!"

His anxiety spiked when he got no response. "Shan!" Still no response.

"I… I can climb down myself," Jeff muttered, trying to climb down out of Matt's arms.

Matt sighed. "You're not going anywhere on your own, but we'll have to change something." He carefully set Jeff on his feet, supporting him so he didn't fall, before he grabbed his arms and put them around his neck. "Do you think you can climb up on my back?"

"Yeah…" Jeff leaned heavily on his brother, waiting for a moment before jumping up onto Matt's back and wrapping his legs around his waist. But his side greatly protested to the action, and he couldn't suppress a gasp of pain.

"Are you all right?" Matt asked with alarm, putting his hand on the younger Hardy's back.

Jeff nodded, placing his forehead on the lower part of Matt's neck. "Just… just give me a minute…"

"I can't really do that, Jeffro," Matt said apologetically. "I have to get us out of here now or we're both dead."

"All right, go. I can… deal with it…"

Matt's expression saddened as he moved over to the door and slowly began to climb down the ladder once he made sure that they were safely through. His younger brother hissed in pain and tensed up at the movement, but the older Hardy had no choice but to keep moving.

However, the metal ladder was too hot to really hold onto because of the surrounding flames, and he sighed when he realized what he had to do. "I'm sorry, Jeff," Matt whispered. Then, since he couldn't handle the heat of the ladder, he jumped off to the floor below.

Jeff screamed hoarsely with pain when the landing jerked his injured side, his arms loosening from around his brother's neck and legs from his waist as he began to fall. Matt immediately caught him, gently lowering him to the floor so he wouldn't injure him further. The younger Hardy's eyes were clenched tightly shut in pain as he held his side, but Matt knew they couldn't stay there long because of the fire.

He pulled his brother's arm up and put it around his neck, winding his other arm around his waist as he supported him and pulled Jeff along with him while he ran toward the staircase. Besides dodging the flames, the older Hardy also knew that they had to be careful of the thick, black smoke lingering in the air, so he tried to keep Jeff's head down as much as possible while he held his breath as he started to drag his brother down the steps.

Suddenly, Matt cried out in surprise when a pair of hands roughly slammed him into the wall, and he and Jeff tumbled down the rest of the stairs to the third floor below. Fortunately, the flames hadn't spread that far down yet, so they didn't have to worry about being burned or inhaling smoke. Matt pushed himself to his knees, holding his arm close to him since he had landed on it wrong in the fall. Jeff lay on his back on the floor near him, his breathing heavy and his eyes closed. He wasn't moving.

"Jeff," Matt muttered anxiously, reaching over and placing his hand on his quickly rising and falling chest as he shook him. "Jeff, come on, bro."

Before he could get a response, he heard another loud crash from the staircase, and Shannon came falling down them and landed on the floor near him. "Shan!"

"Shit!" Shannon exclaimed as he slowly sat up with his hands at his head, and Matt's eyes widened with fear when he saw his best friend. "That bastard put fucking pins in my face, Man!"

"Hold still," Matt tried to calm him down as he crawled over to him and gently started to pull the pins out. Shannon winced in pain and tried to push the older Hardy's hands away. "Shan, stop struggling. That's going to make it worse!"

"_You_ try having fucking pins in _your_ fucking face!" Shannon snapped angrily.

"Shan…"

"Okay, okay. Sorry…"

Jeff groaned in pain as he attempted to sit up, his injured side causing him to lie back down. His head was still spinning from all the smoke he had inhaled and the pain he had endured, and he almost felt like curling up into a ball and disappearing off the face of the earth. But then, he saw Matt and Beth in his mind, and he knew that he didn't want to leave them. For the two people he cared about more than anything, he would endure the pain and stay right where he was.

Suddenly, he gasped in surprise as a hand roughly grabbed his neck and pulled him off the floor. Jeff quickly opened his eyes, seeing with fear that he was staring into the dark, furious eyes of Eric Howe. He gasped for air and struggled in his grip as the man tightened his hand around his throat, his vision starting to fade since he couldn't get oxygen into his lungs.

Suddenly, the hand released his neck, and Jeff fell to the floor in a heap. He slowly opened his eyes, watching as Matt punched Eric in the jaw, pushing him in the direction of the burning staircase. Shannon, now pin-free, hurried over to him, carefully holding Jeff's head in his arm as he gently lifted him to a sitting position. "Hold on, Man."

Matt followed Eric as he ran up the smoke-filled stairs. After all that he had done, he was determined not to let him escape. He had caused too much damage, and he wasn't going to get away with it. Then, he grunted when a fist landed on his jaw, and Matt stumbled back into the wall to keep himself from falling. All he could see through the thick smoke ahead of him was Eric Howe's dark outline, but it was enough for him to avoid a second punch, and he heard the other man cry out when his fist hit the wall instead. Matt threw his own punch, and he felt Eric's nose crack beneath his fist. Eric cried out again, retreating farther up the steps while Matt followed.

The smoke was thicker and the heat was more intense the higher up they got. Matt covered his nose and mouth protectively with his sleeve as he warily looked around for the other man. Then, he was pushed roughly back down to the steps, but the older Hardy was able to stop himself before he fell too far. Matt slowly sat up, crying out with surprise when he felt something sharp poke into his cheek, and he realized it was one of Eric Howe's infamous pins. He immediately pulled it out and swung his fist up, hearing it collide with the bottom of the other man's jaw.

"You took my little girl," Matt muttered furiously as he got to his feet and punched his face. "You almost killed my brother." Another punch to Eric's face. "You're going to pay fro this!" He punched him a third time with more force than the last ones, and through the thick smoke, he watched as Eric stumbled back up the stairs.

But then, Matt's eyes widened with fear when he watched Eric fall and get engulfed in flames, screaming with terrible agony as he ran the rest of the way up to the fourth floor. After a startled moment, Matt gave a relieved sigh and leaned on the railing once the man was out of sight, knowing that it was all finally over.

**Author's Note**: Well, it appears that everyone important survived this nightmare, and it may be over, but we still have the aftermath to experience. The next chapter will be the last one, and I just want thank you guys so, so much for making my first experience with writing a wrestling fic very enjoyable. You guys are amazing! Oh, and the song that Jeff sang to Beth in the first section was "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing" by Aerosmith. Just thought I would throw in a cute little moment for them before all that climatic stuff happened. I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Thanks for reading. Your reviews are much appreciated!


	14. I Don't Want to Miss a Thing

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing associated with the WWE.

**Author's Note**: Hey, guys! Wow, thank you all so, so much for reading this story and leaving your kind, encouraging reviews! It really means a lot to me, especially since it's my first wrestling story (but certainly won't be my last!). **Expect-the-Unexpected75**, **the hardy boyz lover**, **- .I .Dream .of .Hardyz. -**, **traceyh79**, **xOallisonqtOx**, **dumwolf16**, and **BubblyShell22**, you guys are all amazing! So, after all of that drama and excitement, I say it's time for some fluff, huh? Oh, and some Shannon torture! Lol. Enjoy!

Chapter 14- I Don't Want to Miss a Thing

**Artist**: _Aerosmith_

_"Elizabeth A. Britt, a Cameron, North Carolina native and longtime girlfriend of WWE superstar Jeff Hardy, was returned safely from her captors early this morning. Both Britt and Hardy sustained injuries in the incident, and they were both rushed to the nearest hospital in downtown Los Angeles for inspection. The extent of their injuries has not been released._

"_Brittany Howe, daughter of escaped serial killer Eric Howe, was arrested for her part in Britt's abduction. She was apprehended by WWE superstars Mark Calaway, Adam Copeland, and Randy Orton while taking Britt out of an apartment building set for implosion that had been set on fire by her father with Hardy still trapped inside. Hardy was rescued by older brother Matt Hardy and longtime friend Shannon Moore, but Eric Howe was nowhere to be found and is presumed dead…"_

Xxxxxxxxxx

_Beep… beep… beep…_

Jeff groaned as he slowly opened his eyes, immediately closing them again when he was momentarily blinded by the bright lights above him. He hadn't been expecting those. And that continuous beeping was _really_ getting annoying…

_Beep… beep… beep…_

Anticipating the brightness this time, Jeff opened his eyes again and wearily looked around the room. He felt a jolt of panic when he recognized the entirely white room, when he smelled the overwhelming scent of sterilization, when he realized the sound was the heart monitor he was hooked up to. He was in the hospital. And he was alone.

_Beep... beep... beep..._

Then, the door to the room opened, and Jeff breathed a sigh of relief when he saw who entered. "Matt!"

"Hey, good to see you're finally awake, Jeffro," Matt said as he sat down in a chair beside the bed. The younger Hardy couldn't help but notice how tired he looked. He must not have gotten any sleep. "It's been almost two days since we pulled you out of that apartment building."

Apartment building… Jeff suddenly remembered everything that had happened over the course of the past couple of days. Beth had been kidnapped from their hotel room by an obsessed girl… he had been shot saving Matt… he had been trapped in a burning attic after he had found Beth… "What happened with Brittany and her father?" he asked quietly.

Matt sighed heavily. He was hoping that Jeff wouldn't have asked about them so soon. After he and Shannon had pulled his younger brother, barely conscious, out of the apartment building, Brittany had called him over to talk to him. They watched as Beth immediately ran over to Shannon and checked on Jeff, running her fingers anxiously over his face and kissing his lips quickly before holding him close to her as she sobbed. Matt had been startled by the blank look on Brittany's face as she turned to him and asked him one simple question that he knew would stay with him for the rest of his life.

_"Do you love your brother, Matt?"_

The older Hardy inwardly winced at the memory of the childlike yet malicious tone of her voice. Of course he loved Jeff. Had he not just risked his own life by going inside of a burning apartment building to save his brother? But even though he wanted to say many things to this unstable girl, most of them not pleasant, the unexpected question had rendered him speechless. So all he could say in answer was a simple yes. Brittany had given him a knowing smirk, telling him that he should keep a close eye on him, before the police led her away.

"Brittany was arrested for Beth's kidnapping," Matt finally answered, meeting Jeff's expectant gaze. "And her father…" His sentence trailed off, the horror of that sight still fresh in his memory. It was because of him that Eric Howe had fallen and been set on fire. He had taken another man's life, a thought he couldn't share with his brother since it was one that haunted him. What would Jeff think of him if he knew?

"What about Eric?" Jeff wondered, narrowing his eyes in concern.

Matt sighed as he raised his gaze again to meet the younger Hardy's. "Eric never made it out of the apartment building," he finally settled on telling him. "The news report about the whole situation a couple nights ago said that he was presumed dead."

Jeff nodded, but he could tell just by looking at his brother that something was wrong. But, he knew better than to push him when he didn't want to talk. Besides, he had his own guilt in his mind he had to deal with. "I'm sorry, Matt."

The older Hardy looked back at him with surprise. "Sorry for what?"

"For worrying you," Jeff told him with a sigh. "I should have told you what I was doing. I didn't-!"

Matt held up his hand, and Jeff stopped mid-sentence. "Just don't go off on your own and pull another stunt like that, okay?" he muttered with a small smile.

Jeff smirked. "Okay," he agreed. "But at least it worked this time."

"Barely."

The younger Hardy sighed. He realized that he had come close to getting himself killed, and he couldn't imagine how hard it must have been for Matt to handle that feeling. He felt terrible, and he knew it would take some time for them to get past this. But, he knew that he and Matt could do it together.

Then, Jeff's eyes narrowed. "Where's Beth?" He thought for sure that she would be there.

Matt smiled. "She and Shannon are getting coffee," he said. "They should be back soon."

As soon as the words were out of his mouth, the door to the room opened again, and Beth and Shannon entered. They were both holding cups of steaming coffee in their hands, and they appeared to be in some heated discussion about whether decaf or regular was better, and if sugar or creamer was the best to put in.

"You have no idea what you're talking about, Shan."

"Oh, and I suppose _you_ do?"

But, their argument stopped in surprise when they saw that Jeff was looking up at them with an amused smirk on his face. "Regular with creamer," he muttered. "Sorry, but you both lose."

Beth's face completely lit up while Shannon grinned at his friend, and she hurried over to the bed and sat down next to him. "I'm glad you're awake," she said with a broad smile, setting her coffee on the table near her before giving Jeff her complete attention. "How are you feeling?"

"Better now that you're here," Jeff told her as he slowly sat up and pulled her into his arms. His muscles felt cramped from lying in one position for so long, but he also noticed that his shoulder wasn't hurting nearly as much and his side was even feeling better than it had been.

Then, he noticed that Beth's left forearm was wrapped in a white cloth bandage, and he reached over and gently lifted it to look at it. "How are _you_ feeling?"

"That's no big deal," Beth replied truthfully as she gave him a smile, kissing his cheek quickly. "Just a minor burn and a scrape. It'll heal quickly."

Jeff sighed, placing his cheek on top of her head as he held her close to him. He felt so guilty about what had happened to her, and he made a silent promise to himself at that moment that he would never let it happen again. Beth rested her head on his shoulder, closing her eyes as she wrapped her arm around Jeff's waist and intertwined her legs with his. There had been many times when she had been with Brittany where she thought that she would never feel the security and the completeness of being in his strong, tattooed arms again. She cherished that moment, and it was one she never wanted to end. She didn't want to leave those arms again.

Matt smiled as he watched them, relieved that they were able to be together. It had been a close call, he realized, and that was a terrifying thought. If they had gotten to that apartment a minute later, Jeff would have been dead. If they had gotten there any later, Beth would have been taken from them. If they hadn't arrived when they had, he would have lost the two people he loved most in the world.

"I hate to break up this moment, but the doctor's going to come check up on you in a little bit," Matt said, watching as Jeff and Beth both looked over at him. "If he gives you the okay, we can leave this afternoon."

"Good," Jeff muttered, placing his forehead on top of Beth's head. "I need to get out of here." Anything to get away from the memories of what had occurred. He was greatly awaiting Cameron's surroundings, especially with the woman he loved most in his arms again.

"Oh, but we can't leave yet, Jeffro," Beth told him, running her fingers lightly over his chest as she looked up at him.

Jeff raised an eyebrow as he looked back down at her. "And why is that?"

Beth gave him a sly smile as she quickly kissed him. "I do recall you saying something about ice cream."

* * *

"Why do _I_ have to be the one that carries all the ice cream?" Shannon whined as he approached the table of six with a big tray in his hands.

"You're the one who volunteered to fly out here and help us, Shan," Matt told him with a laugh.

"Well, this isn't exactly what I had in mind," Shannon muttered in a disgruntled way as he began passing out the different flavored ice creams to the right people. "See what happens when I help you assholes? First, I get pins stuck in my face, and now, I get slave duty! That's the last time I help you…"

"I know what those pins feel like," Randy muttered as he took the Oreo ice cream he had ordered from Shannon's proffered hand.

"Ah, we love you, Shan," Beth told him with a smile when he handed her the ice cream she had ordered while Jeff wrapped an arm around her. "And your help was greatly appreciated."

"Yes it was," Jeff agreed, taking his cookie dough ice cream from his younger friend. "So stop complaining."

Shannon sarcastically muttered something about how he shouldn't have saved Jeff's smart-ass as he sat down in his chair next to Adam when he was done passing everything out, taking a bite of his banana split like a pouting kid.

"What kind did you get?" Jeff asked curiously, looking at the darker ice cream in his girlfriend's hand. He had never seen it before.

"It's like this chocolate chip mocha type thing," Beth tried to explain as she took a bite of it. "Someone on Twitter actually suggested I try it. I just haven't had the chance to. It's really good! Do you want to try a little?"

"Sure, I'll give it a shot."

"Okay." Beth got another spoonful of the ice cream and put it up to Jeff's lips, smiling as she watched him nod after he swallowed it.

"Not bad."

Beth then looked down at the cup of ice cream in front of him. "Can I steal a bite of that cookie dough?" she wondered.

"Of course." Jeff used his spoon and got some of his ice cream as he allowed Beth to take a bite.

"Thanks, hon."

Shannon made a fake gagging noise as he watched the couple share their ice cream, and Beth smiled as Jeff raised an eyebrow. "That's gross…"

"What, are you in elementary school?" Beth said teasingly. "Do you still believe in cooties or something?"

Her friend grinned back. "No, but I'm trying to eat, and I didn't need to see _that_," he told her as he laughed. Beth and Jeff was his favorite couple to pick on.

"It could have been a lot worse, Shan," Jeff muttered with an almost evil glint to his eye.

"Yeah," Beth agreed with a smile. "I could have-!"

"La, la, la, la, la!" Shannon protested loudly while Adam laughed from next to him. "I can't hear you! La, la, la, la!"

Matt smiled at Shannon's failed joke attempt as Jeff and Beth quickly turned the tables back on him, but he continued to eat his caramel sundae in silence. The stress and lack of sleep from the past couple of days was finally catching up with him, but he was just relieved that it was all finally over. He felt peaceful sitting at this table with his friends and family in Dairy Queen, talking and laughing as they left the terrifying ordeal behind them. It was very relaxing. But, there was also something weighing down on his mind that he hadn't told anyone.

"What a past couple of days, huh?" Mark muttered as he swallowed a bite of his chocolate mint ice cream and looked at the older Hardy.

"Yeah," Matt agreed with a sigh. "I'm just glad everyone's okay and that it's done."

"Vince gave you and Jeff some time off, didn't he?" Randy wondered.

Matt nodded. "Only two weeks, though."

Randy shook his head in disbelief, knowing that they should have more time outside of the ring than two short weeks. They needed more time off to get over everything that had happened, and Beth would certainly need them around for a longer time than that. But, the next big Pay-Per-View was soon approaching, and the Hardys were already a part of it.

Then, he reached into his pocket when his phone went off, and he pulled it out when he knew he had a text. Randy opened it, and he smiled when he read the message. "Samantha says that she's relieved to hear that Beth and everyone are okay, and she sends her love," he announced to the table.

Matt smiled at him. "Tell her that we definitely appreciate it," he told him. Samantha was a sweet woman, and he was relieved that she would have Randy coming home to her in one piece.

Randy nodded, but before he could begin to text his wife back with Matt's message, he got a second text. His smile broadened when he saw this message. "And Alanna wants to say something to her favorite wrestling brothers."

The older Hardy took the phone Randy offered him since he was closer, and Jeff leaned in close to him so he could see the small screen too. They both smiled when they saw the young girl trying to hold up both of their hand signs.

Over the course of the next half hour, the group started to dismantle one by one. Mark left first, followed shortly after by Randy since they both had a wife and the latter had a daughter they were anxious to get home to, and Adam left a bit later, leaving the North Carolina crew alone. They sat for a while longer even though they had all finished their ice cream, merely enjoying each other's company and sharing a lot of laughs. But soon, even they felt like it was time to return home.

"Want to fetch the rental car, Shan?" Matt asked with a smile, holding the keys in the air.

Shannon rolled his eyes as he snatched the keys away from him. "Sure, I'll go 'fetch the car,'" he answered sarcastically. But then, an evil gleam appeared in his eyes. "After I crash it!" He jumped out of his chair and immediately ran out of the restaurant.

"Shan, don't you dare!" Matt shouted as he ran after him. "There is to be no damage done to that car that I have to pay for!"

Beth laughed as she leaned against Jeff. "Should we go after them?" she wondered with a smile.

"I don't think that would be the best idea," Jeff told her, kissing her head before he stood and picked up the trash that had been left behind by his brother and friend. "We'll let them work it out. I mean, the car's not in my name, so I have nothing to worry about."

"That's true." Beth laughed again as she pushed in the chairs at the table and followed Jeff to the garbage can. She wrapped her arms around his waist when he turned back to face her, and he wound his arms around her as they looked out the window and watched as Matt practically tackled Shannon for the keys. "Seriously, who needs kids when you have those two to deal with?"

Jeff smiled down at her, tenderly running his fingers over her cheek. He was angered slightly when he saw the bruise that was still there that had been left by Brittany, but the feeling vanished when he knew she was still with him and would not be leaving. That was all he cared about. "I love you," he whispered, gently catching her lips in a kiss.

Beth smiled up at him, kissing him again as she ran her fingers lovingly over his face. "I love you too, Jeffro," she muttered. Then, she cringed and laughed a little when she heard a bump from outside near their car. "Let's just hope we get home."

* * *

"It's good to be home!" Matt exclaimed cheerfully as he opened the front door of his house and set his bags on the living room floor.

"I'm just glad that we made it home and managed to keep our sanity," Beth muttered as she followed him inside. "The way you and Shan kept bickering on the plane was driving Jeffro and I crazy!"

Matt smirked at her. "That was the point, Britt, my dear." He laughed a little when she smacked his arm. "Hey!"

Jeff came in with his bags a couple minutes later, sighing as he looked around at the familiar living room. It was almost a miracle that he was able to stand in it again.

"Hey there, Lucas!"

Both Hardys watched as Beth picked up the fuzzy, white dog when he came running out of the kitchen to greet them. "It seems like you were well taken care of. And I recognize that special treat you have in there to be from Aunt Julie."

Matt laughed as he took his baby from her. "Yeah, Aunt Julie always spoils you, doesn't she?"

Beth laughed a little as Matt took him back into the kitchen, and she turned to look at Jeff with some concern. "Are you all right, hon?" He was awfully quiet…

"Yeah, I'm fine," Jeff told her with a smile, running a hand through her hair. "If you want to head up, I'll be there in a minute. I just want to have a quick word with Matt."

"Okay." Beth looked up at Jeff for a long moment, trying to read his expression. But, all she saw was a sense of peace since they were now at home, and also exhaustion after everything that had happened. So, she nodded, squeezing his hand with a smile of her own. "See you in a bit."

"Yep." Jeff watched as Beth picked up her bags and climbed up the stairs out of sight before he went into the kitchen. He found his brother sitting on the floor next to Lucas, who was playfully pulling at his shoe. But the older Hardy didn't even seem to notice, and he also didn't seem to see him sit down in a chair near him. Jeff cleared his throat to try to get his attention. "Matt."

At the sound of his quiet voice, Matt gasped and quickly looked up at his younger brother. "What's up, Jeffro?"

Jeff sighed as he looked back down at him. "I can tell something is wrong, Matt," he said. "Come on, Man, you can tell me. What's bothering you?"

Matt sighed heavily also. He trusted Jeff more than anyone, but he wasn't sure if he could tell him _this_. Flashes of Eric Howe falling back into the fire after his punch and running away as he got engulfed in flames rushed through his mind. Could he really tell his little brother that he had taken another life?

"Nothing's wrong, Jeffro…"

Jeff sighed again, his expression saddening. Did his own brother not trust him? "All right, Man," he muttered as he got to his feet. "Well, if you do want to talk, you know where I am. I'll see you in the morning."

The older Hardy watched as he walked toward the kitchen entryway, realizing that he had probably hurt his brother. He knew that Jeff was always very perceptive of him, that he could tell that something was on his mind, and the fact that he wouldn't confide in him probably made the younger Hardy feel betrayed. That was the last thing he wanted to do.

"Wait, Jeff."

"Yeah, Matt?" Jeff stopped and looked back at him curiously.

Matt stared back for a long moment before he sighed again. "I'm glad that you're all right, Jeffro," he said in nearly a whisper, which was the truth. "I can't tell you how scared I was when you went off on your own after Brittany and her father. And when Eric told me that you were in that burning attic… I'm not sure what I would have done if I had been too late. I was so scared that I was…"

Jeff sighed again too as he slowly walked back over to Matt, helping him to his feet. "You don't have to worry about me, Man," he told him softly with a small smile. "I'm here, and I'm not leaving."

"I know, but how can I not?" Matt pulled Jeff into his arms, holding him close. "You're my little brother. I almost lost you, Man."

The younger Hardy wrapped his arms around Matt, resting his forehead on his shoulder. He knew that this wasn't all that was on his brother's mind, but it was a start. "Well, you know what they say, Man," Jeff muttered with a slight laugh. "Jeff Hardy will not die."

Matt laughed a little too, recognizing what the announcers often said about his little brother when he was in the ring as he released him but still held his shoulders at arm's length. "I know," he said just as quietly. "But get some rest now. You look exhausted."

Jeff smiled slightly as he placed his hand on Matt's shoulder. "You too, Man."

"I will." Matt let go of the younger man's shoulders, watching as he left the kitchen before he sighed and put his hand to his head. If he knew his brother, Jeff knew that something was still wrong. He knew that he couldn't keep what he had done, no matter how terrible of a man Eric had been, from him for long, but he didn't have to burden him down with his deed that night. That night belonged to him and Beth.

Something was still worrying Matt, he knew, but even though he was concerned, he knew his older brother well enough not to push him if he didn't want to say something. He would come to him when he was ready. Now, he had other matters to attend to. Jeff hurriedly climbed up the stairs with his bags and went down the hallway to the guest room that he and Beth were using and opened the door.

_"I don't want to close my eyes_

_I don't want to fall asleep_

'_Cause I'd miss you, Baby_

_And I don't want to miss a thing…"_

He saw that Beth had already changed into her tank top and shorts for sleeping and was sitting on the bed, waiting for him. When he entered, she smiled up at him and held her arms out. Jeff returned the smile, setting his bags down and shutting the door before lying on the bed next to her, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her up against him.

_"Lying close to you_

_Feeling your heart beating…"_

"How did talking to Matt go?" Beth wondered, moving even closer to him so her body fit perfectly against his.

"It went okay," Jeff answered with a sigh, burying his face in her hair. "He said he was concerned about me since he had almost lost me, but I think there's something else on his mind."

"What else could there be, Jeffro?" Beth wondered as she rested her head on his chest. "I just think it'll take some time for Matt to get over everything that happened."

"Maybe." Jeff highly doubted what Beth was saying, but at that moment, he didn't really care. He wrapped his arms securely around Beth's waist and intertwined his legs with hers, having the intention to never let go of her again. He had been so scared over the past couple of days that he would never be able to hold her again, so it was a real relief to him that he was holding her in his arms now. He gently kissed the top of her head, resting his cheek on the same spot as he closed his eyes. This was a moment that he didn't want to end.

_"I just wanna' stay with you_

_In this moment forever…"_

Beth wound her arms around Jeff's waist, holding him close to her as well. There had been so many times she had been afraid she would never be held in those arms, her sanctuary, again. But, it was all over now, their closeness proved that. The way they tightly held each other got their relief across for them.

_"I don't wanna' miss one smile_

_I don't wanna' miss one kiss…"_

Jeff smiled at Beth when she looked up at him, and then she pulled his lips down to hers in a kiss. It was a bit more intense than usual, but she had been afraid that she would never feel their softness again. Jeff didn't mind the intensity as he returned the kiss, holding her even closer to him. He had no idea what he would have done if he had lost Beth, but it was a thought he no longer had to worry about. She was there, in his arms, and that was where she was staying.

"I just wanna' hold you close," Jeff suddenly muttered the line of a song that they both knew well as he ran his hand tenderly through her hair.

"Feel your heart so close to mine," Beth sang quietly back, knowing the next line of the song that had significance to them both.

Jeff smiled back at her as he finished in a whisper, "And just stay here in this moment for all the rest of time."

Beth returned the smile as she kissed him again quickly but passionately before laying her head on his chest and closing her eyes. Being in his arms like this was the best feeling in the world. "I love you, Jeffro."

He closed his eyes as well as he rested his cheek on top of her head again. Being with Beth like this was when he felt most complete and most at home, and Jeff could already feel himself beginning to fall asleep as he held her. "I love you too, Beth."

_"Even when I dream of you_

_The sweetest dream would never do_

_I'd still miss you, Baby_

_And I don't want to miss a thing…"_

**The End**

**Author's Note**:… Or, is it? Hmm… I'm not sure. But wasn't that an adorable ending? At least everyone's safe and happy. Well, except for Shannon when he gets picked on, lol. I hope you all liked the last chapter! Thank you all so much for reading this story! I really appreciate it!


	15. Trailer

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing associated with the WWE.

**Author's Note**: Nope, you're not imagining this. There is ONE MORE update for this story! Lol. Now, this is actually not a chapter, per se, for "Fires." It is actually a little preview for the… get ready… SEQUEL! I loved writing with these guys so much I had to do another! Now, I'm not sure when I'm actually going to get this started since I am now going to college and I'm also working on another story that I haven't updated in a while, so just bear with me. I promise you that it will be posted! Another note on this is that it's written in the form of a movie trailer (it's a nifty idea I've done for some of my other stories, and it seems to work well), so you'll have to think of it as such. If you have any questions, feel free to PM me. But, without any further ado, I'll let you read this! Thank you so much to those who reviewed!

Trailer

**Song**: "Seasons" by The Veer Union

_A black screen_

**Brittany** (_Voiceover_): "You took my father…"

_Shows a quick shot of Matt Hardy watching, horrified, as Eric Howe is engulfed in flames and runs out of sight before cutting back to a black screen_

**Brittany** (_Voiceover_): "You broke my heart…"

_Shows a quick shot of Jeff Hardy pulling his face away after Brittany Howe kisses him and fades into a shot of him tenderly kissing Beth Britt before cutting back to a black screen_

**Brittany** (_Voiceover_): "You hurt my feelings…"

_Shows a quick shot of Beth hugging Jeff tightly before cutting back to a black screen_

**Brittany** (_Voiceover_): "And now, you will regret it."

_Shows a quick shot of Matt yelling out in fear when he enters Jeff and Beth's guest bedroom before cutting sharply to a black screen_

**Three months after returning safely to their home in Cameron, North Carolina, life is going well for Jeff Hardy and his family…**

_Shows a shot of Beth and Jeff standing outside in the snow in front of an almost completed house, her wrapped tightly in his arms_

**Jeff**: "Just think about it, Beth. In a couple more weeks, we'll finally be able to move into our own place again."

_Cuts to a shot of Jeff and Beth sitting on the couch in front of the fireplace in Matt's living room, sipping on hot chocolate as she looks down at her left hand_

**Beth**: "I love you, Jeffro."

_Cuts to a shot of Matt wrapping his arms around Jeff and Beth_

**Matt**: "Anything for my favorite little brother and sister."

_Shows a shot of a laughing Shannon Moore standing outside and throwing a snowball in Beth's face before running away_

**Shannon**: "You can't catch me!"

_Cuts sharply to a black screen_

… **until they hear some startling news…**

_A shot of a crying Matt putting his head in his hands fades in_

**Matt** (_Voiceover_): "I killed Eric Howe."

_Shows a shot of an agitated Jeff as he cries out in frustration and slams his hands down on the counter before cutting to a shot of a shaken Beth_

**Jeff** (_Voiceover_): "And you just bothered to tell us this now?"

**Beth**: "Matt, do you have any idea what this means?"

_Cuts to a shot of Shannon as he walks past Matt_

**Shannon**: "It appears that your asses need saving… again!"

… **and the return of a familiar face.**

_Shows a shot of Brittany Howe as she smiles triumphantly. Fades into a shot of a horrified Jeff before cutting sharply to a black screen_

**Brittany** (_Voiceover_): "Hello again, Jeffro."

**Now, it's a fight for survival…**

_Shows a shot of Shannon grabbing Beth's hand as they run down a path through snow-covered trees with Matt close behind them_

_Shows a shot of Jeff swerving on the icy street as he avoids hitting someone standing in the middle of the road_

_Cuts sharply to a black screen as the sounds of squealing tires and a crash are heard_

… **as they fight to protect everything they love.**

_Fades into a shot of Jeff holding Beth in his arms as she cries_

**Beth**: "How the hell did she find us in Cameron?"

_Cuts to shot of Jeff as a single tear falls from his eye_

**Jeff** (_Voiceover_): "I will not let anything happen to you."

_Shows a sequence of shots in slow motion:_

_Matt hugging Jeff_

_Shannon high-fiving Beth_

_Beth laughing with Jeff and Matt_

_Shannon kissing Julie_

_Jeff tenderly brushing some hair out of Beth's face before meeting her lips in a kiss_

**Brittany** (_Voiceover_): "Just what would you do to protect the one thing you treasure most in your life? How far would you go?"

_Cuts to a shot of Jeff stumbling out of his crashed car and falling to the ground, looking at the night around him nervously_

**Jeff** (_Voiceover_): "I would give my last breath. I would go to the ends of the world if I had to."

_Shows a shot of a grinning Brittany with a gun in her hand_

**Brittany**: "Would you?"

_Cuts to a shot of a determined Jeff_

**Jeff**: "Yes."

_Shows a sequence of shots:_

_Shannon anxiously talking on a cell phone_

_A sobbing Beth being held by Matt_

_Jeff collapsing to the snow_

_Matt fearfully screaming Jeff's name_

_Beth hugging Matt_

_Jeff standing in front of Beth protectively as Brittany points a gun at them_

_Matt staring in horror as he's approached by a dark-haired man_

_Shannon shaking his head and covering his mouth as tears fall from his eyes_

_Brittany getting close to Jeff as she kisses him_

_A gun being fired_

_Cuts sharply to a black screen_

**Melting Ice**

**Brittany** (_Voiceover_): "I always get what I want."

_Coming soon to a fanfiction site near you!_


End file.
